Using a more nuanced index of mental health, this study replicated the finding of a dramatic surge of mental health issues occurring among emerging adults in recent years. It also extends our extant knowledge by suggesting that population changes in mentally unhealthy days occur across the age spectrum but are most pronounced among emerging adults. Furthermore, these changes in perceived mental health, particularly among young people, are considerably more dramatic than previous increases (between 1993–2001), which were observed in both physically and mentally unhealthy days, and most common among age 45–64 (4).
This study cannot determine the causal mechanisms driving this trend. Nevertheless, there is emerging and foundational psychological research that may shed light on this phenomenon. Researchers have proposed several potential contributors as to why emerging adults are experiencing higher rates of mental distress compared to other age groups, as well as the underlying adversarial mechanisms within these contributors (5). These potential contributors include the introduction of social media, disruptions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing social isolation, shifts in political and social discourse, and economic disparities and financial stress. Given the pervasive rise of social media during the past decade, it is important to consider how changes in social media engagement may impact how people, particularly emerging adults, appraise and navigate stressful events.
Over the past decade, social media platforms have become an integral part of life, with a particularly marked impact for young adults who came of age during or after this technological shift. Social media engagement is a double-edged sword. While offering opportunities for connection, self-expression, and information exchange, excessive use may contribute to feelings of depression and anxiety, potentially due to the pressure to present an idealized self-image in social media platforms, feelings of inadequacy when comparing oneself to others, or exposure to cyberbullying (6). Furthermore, the immediacy, ubiquity, and inescapable nature of social media can expose young adults to an overwhelming amount of information and news, including global crises or distressing events, which can amplify stress and anxiety (7). In fact, the US Surgeon General’s Advisories published a public statement warning of the potential negative impact of social media on youth, which may carry through to adulthood and amplify risks for developing and perpetuating mental health issues (8).
Relatedly, social media appears to change the way people perceive, interpret, and cope with stressors or traumatic events. More specifically, through social media, people appraise traumatic events and stressors more negatively, which may be another contributor to the recent surge of mental health issues among emerging adults (9). Today, the interplay between experiencing an event, appraising that event, engaging in a coping strategy, and the resultant impact on mental health has been well established in psychological research. However, less is known about how society-level factors impact event appraisal. Furthermore, a large body of evidence now shows that how individuals appraise stressors can vary greatly based on factors, such as their personal and social resources, prior experiences, and current mental health (10). Engaging in effective coping strategies, particularly proactive coping, are known to help individuals navigate themselves through stressful life events, while ineffective coping strategies, such as catastrophizing, can exacerbate feelings of stress and anxiety, leading to poorer mental health outcomes (10).
Limitations
The findings in the present study are subject to at least three limitations. First, the present study did not identify or examine the causal factors that contributed to these trends of mental and physical health outcomes, although we have proposed and discussed such potential factors. Second, for the present analyses, our data were weighted based on key demographic variables, (i.e., sex, ethnicity, geographic regions within states, and marital status) to represent the US population. However, doing so reduced the contextualization of our findings, perhaps oversimplifying the complex nature of mental and physical health issues among diverse individuals. Finally, subjective health measures might not fully capture the complexity of mental and physical health issues that the U.S. population have experienced over the past decade.
Implications
Given that the number of unhealthy days experienced by young adults was steadily increasing prior to 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic can be ruled out as the sole determinant of the surge of mental health issues among young adults. However, it is possible that the COVID-19 pandemic is a major contributor to higher rates from 2020 to 2022. Additional research is warranted, particularly an examination of the potential interactions between increased social media engagement, shifts in the appraisal of stressful events, and the surge of mental health issues among young adults. Regardless, this study identifies a clear need and undeniable concern to address the mechanisms underlying this dramatic increase in mentally unhealthy days among young adults, which appears to be also increasingly common into mid-life.