BBC: Quarter of 17-19-year-olds have probable mental disorder - study

[LAKISYLVANIA]

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-63784751?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA



An initial survey of children's mental health, in 2017, was followed-up in 2020, 2021 and 2022 to track changes.

The survey results suggest a probable mental disorder among:

18% of seven- to 16-year-olds - five in every classroom
nearly 33% of female 17- to 24-year-olds, compared with 13% of male
nearly 20% of male seven- to 16-year-olds, compared with 10% of female
Young people with a probable mental health disorder were more likely to:

say they had self-harmed, with 28% saying they had talked about it in the past four weeks
live in a household where paying bills and putting food on the table was a challenge

The NHS Digital survey also indicates:

one in eight 11- to 16-year-old social-media users have been bullied online - and more than a quarter of those have a probable mental disorder
nearly two-thirds of 17- to 24-year-olds - and more girls than boys - have a possible eating problem
teenagers with a probable mental health disorder are more likely feel lonely, with 18% affected
a third of seven- to 16-year-olds and two-thirds of 17- to 23-year-olds had had problems sleeping in the past week

[Silent Hunter]

Considering I was 19 when I was diagnosed with my mental disorder, that's not entirely surprising.

[President Johnson]

I wonder whether the definitions of "mental disorders" have changed over time and whether they're just clearly defined. As for as I know, ADS and Asperger are not considered mental disorders by some experts. I don't really feel qualified to make the determination.

Covid and its impact almost certainly played a role in that development, but is far from the sole cause.

[Silent Hunter]

I wonder whether the definitions of "mental disorders" have changed over time and whether they're just clearly defined. As for as I know, ADS and Asperger are not considered mental disorders by some experts. I don't really feel qualified to make the determination.

Covid and its impact almost certainly played a role in that development, but is far from the sole cause.

Asperger's no longer exists as a separate diagnosis - it was folded into Autistic Spectrum Disorder with DSM 5.

[dead0man]

so kids really are nuts today

[TheReckoning]

Our future voters, everyone.

[the artist formerly known as catmusic]

Posted on a similar thread, but yeah. I feel like....at least half the people I know in my age range (late teens, early-mid 20s) have some form of mental illness. I don't think people realize just how bad it is among our demographic. Hell, half the time I'm ready to give up and move to the wilderness in Nova Scotia somewhere and call it a day. Every bit of work you put in feels hopeless.

[Zinneke]

This could also be interpreted as progress, in the sense that I think we're all feeling that mental disorders and going to psychologist is no longer a taboo. Overdiagnosis seems to be a thing in Anglo-Saxon countries too. But yeah, I feel like all our brains are still getting fried by this overload of information we are constantly subjected to. There's a reason the guys who invented PCs and social media don't give their kids tablets and smartphones till a late age, probably regulate it a lot.

Let's start by banning tiktok, the biggest Chinese spyware operation currently running. That'll already solve some civilizational decay.

[LAKISYLVANIA]

in the sense that I think we're all feeling that mental disorders and going to psychologist is no longer a taboo.

It's still a taboo. And in Belgium, also not affordable (going to a psychologist).

[Conservatopia]

Atlas be like "only a quarter?"

[Zinneke]

in the sense that I think we're all feeling that mental disorders and going to psychologist is no longer a taboo.

It's still a taboo. And in Belgium, also not affordable (going to a psychologist).

It has improved, but I agree with you that here in Belgium for some reason it is slower + the costs involved are astronomical. I'm fairly sure I'm undiagnosed ADHD but then I see how much therapy + medecine would cost, it makes me think twice.

Terrible as if mental health were treated seriously I imagine it would save the state money over time. People often descend into poor habits or addictions due to untreated mental health problems and tackling the root causes is so important, but I'm no public health expert.

[Torie]

This causes one old man to wonder if teens have always been relative mental basket cases or whether it is something of a new phenomenon. If new, I blame the internet, and social media in particular. And yes, in case you are wondering, I consider Atlas to be in the food chain of the social media leviathan. Virginia and Elon Musk have something in common. Who knew?  

[CumbrianLefty]

There is definitely an element of people being more aware of this stuff now.

Which is mostly a good thing, though not without its potential dangers too.

[Person Man]

I’ll go with this all is happening because people are trying more to find out what’s going on. Potentially, that could be big if hospitals  and universities will try again at finding effective treatments instead of heavily relying solely on palliative care and harm reduction.

On the other hand, maybe we are heading towards Idiocracy but instead of a future where most, if not all, people being intellectually disabled, they all have some form of emotional or behavioral handicap or some problem learning that can’t be explained by them not being smart enough to grasp what they are struggling with.

I’ve heard somewhere that the Migration Period and the onset of the Middle Ages was brought on by mass hysteria caused by heavy metal pollution.

[It’s so Joever]

I will be completely honest and I do NOT want this to come across as invalidating of mental illness because I know personally how awful it is. However, I do think there is a social contagion effect. I do believe that ironically, we have reached a point of acceptance where there is almost a bit of a self diagnosing culture. What is problematic is that with mental issues especially, you can placebo yourself into it for real. Now not all mental illness is the result of social contagion. I have honestly experienced both types.

I have long struggled with serious anxiety issues since I was a young kid, and it was not social contagion. Also my ED was not likely social contagion imo based on circumstances. HOWEVER, I did notice myself falling into actual depression back in 2016 summer after being exposed to the topic a lot. It WAS real, I couldn’t stop it, but I do believe that it was a social contagion. My mind subconsciously self diagnosed and thus I developed it via placebo effect over time. This doesn’t make it not real, but I believe social contagion is a cause of much of the new cases. I don’t know how we can balance awareness of these very real issues that many will develop without socialization while avoiding this real possible means of transmission.