Why Mental Health Resources Are A Priority For Students And Staff

Young adults are in a crisis. In the 1980s and 1990s, all research showed that young adults and the elderly were the happiest in what was called the U-shaped curve of happiness.

Over the last decade, however, the mental health of each younger generation has been progressively declining, a trend substantially worsened by the pandemic.

According to the Mental Health Million Project’s annual report, today, 44% of young adults ages 18-24 have clinical level mental health distress compared to only 6% in those 65+ and 26% overall. This trend reflects substantial structural issues at play with increased depression and a breakdown of the social self, or how people view themselves and relate to others.

Not only are students suffering mentally, but teachers are also still recovering from the stress of virtual learning and the anxiety of being back in school and making up for last year. Most jobs come with some level of stress, but teachers have experienced even higher levels of stress and burnout than before the pandemic further identifying the need for mental health assistance for school faculty and staff.

This suffering often leads to various types of addictions resulting from coping mechanisms and can also increase the risk of suicidal thoughts. Therefore, mental health resources are crucial for both students and staff to address these issues before they escalate. Entering these people into a recovering professionals program can save their lives and give them the resources they need to thrive. Further measures such as implementing mental health days, providing access to therapy and counseling services, and creating a positive and open dialogue about mental health can greatly benefit the well-being of students and staff.

Dr. Thiagarajan, a neuroscience and mental well-being expert, serves as head of the Mental Health Million Project, an evolving, open-source dataset and one of the most comprehensive ongoing surveys on mental health. Together with her colleagues, she uncovered the mental state of the world, taking into consideration the different countries, age categories, genders, lifestyle factors of those suffering from mental health issues, mental cost of the pandemic, and provided recommendations and insights for the future.

Download the full report, country data table, and statistics table here.