Mental health conversations have become more prevalent in recent years. From schools to social media, mental health is starting to take center stage in society. People are seeking help in a variety of ways, from traditional therapy to more unconventional methods. Yet, despite this increased awareness, mental health issues seem to be at an all-time high in 2024. In America, adults report symptoms of depression and anxiety nearly three times as often as in 2019. The percentage of people rating their mental health as ‘excellent’ has dropped by 20% from 2004 to 2022 (“Estimates of Mental Health Symptomatology, by Month of Interview: United States, 2019”). But the real question is: why? Why are mental health issues rising worldwide? In an era when mental health awareness is so high, what could cause this mass decline in mental health?
#1 : Social Isolation
Social isolation has become far more prevalent in this era than years before. With a digital era, people have found ways around interacting with others. It didn’t help that COVID-19 shut the world down overnight, leaving many abruptly depraved of social interaction.
The truth is, the pandemic has brought about a unique form of stress among the global population. During lockdown, everyone was isolated, especially those living alone. It is no mystery that social isolation increases stress as well as depression and anxiety rates. With the lockdown keeping people from interacting with others, their craving for human interaction caused much distress. Distress, in turn, lowered the immunity, leaving the people open to infection as well as depression and anxiety.
Even after the lockdown, mental health issues among the general population still persist. Being restrained from social interaction for around two years, people have lost the ability to regain older relationships, let alone create new ones. Loneliness still exists for many people, far more than prior to the pandemic, resulting in mental health issues rising.
#2 : Financial Stress
Costs have been increasing over the years, and the COVID-19 pandemic put more stress on economics as a whole. Inflation has also been on the rise, raising costs from gas prices to interest rates. As years go by, living comfortably has only become more expensive, and it’s no wonder finances cause much stress amongst the population.
In America, for instance, it was reported that 50% of Americans would be classified as financially stressed in 2018 (“Financial Anxiety and Stress Among U.S. Adults”). In a financial stress survey in 2024, it was reported that 87% of the respondents claimed to have experienced financial stress once a week, and another 54% having been financially stressed multiple times a week (Caporal).
The distress associated with these finances only lead to more severe mental health problems, especially among the youth. With college students’ financial stress coupled with stress from school, they provide a breeding ground for mental illness.
Financial stress is just one of the many pressures contributing to the rising mental health issues today. As the cost of living grows, so too does the strain on an individual’s well-being, especially among young adults. When paired with other societal stressors, the cumulative effect only deepens the mental health crisis we’re seeing now.
#3 : Burnout
The modern work life of today’s era is unhealthy, to say the least. We have created a society that thrives on its workers, forcing people to work day in and day out, without leaving anytime for a break. It only gets worse moving down to lower socioeconomic classes, as working multiple jobs is no rarity.
This constantly working lifestyle and mindset only causes burnout among workers, especially for those in the healthcare industry. According to a CDC study, close to 50% of health workers have reported feeling burnout in 2022, an incredible increase compared to the 32% in 2018 (Wickstrom and Harris). Health workers have been notorious for being the most stressed, and their increase in stress could only predict an increase in the other fields as well.
Burnout doesn’t only occur in the workplace, as it is very prevalent among the youth as well, and only increasing. Japan is known for its rigorous curriculum, being one of the hardest in the world, so one can only imagine the stress put upon their highschoolers. The stress has been increasingly overwhelming, leading to many suicides that only increased over the years. In 2018, around 250 students aged 18 and under took their own lives, and in 2022, the number has rose to 514 (ISHIKAWA).
The lifestyle of the modern world is incredibly concerning, and even inhumane. It has proven time and time again how hurtful it is to the health of its people, and the constant working causes much stress and burnout on workers and students alike. Nevertheless, it is only becoming increasingly stressful and demanding, leading to mental health issues rising.
#4 : Modern Diet
Our diet today is much more different from decades past. The availability of food has increased, and fast food in particular has become cheap. Healthier and organic foods keep their prices high, and the majority of people opt for unhealthy foods instead. Years past, processed foods were not as readily available to people, let alone cheaper than the average fruits and vegetables. And as our diet has turned unhealthy, so has our minds.
Studies have found that children who eat more processed foods over healthy foods are more likely to develop symptoms of ADHD (Clay and Izquierdo). Some have also found that women of higher weight are 38% more likely to develop depression (Menon). This obesity is been linked to overconsumption of fast foods.
The link between fast food and mental illness can also be traced to socioeconomic classes. People of lower classes are more likely to buy processed foods due to their cheapness. That paired with the demanding work life and financial stress, they are eating foods that will not help their physical or mental health.
Good food can even be a cure to mental illness, as a study found that depressed adults who were set on a dietary regime by a dietician had reduced their depressive symptoms. However, eating healthy is a luxury nowadays, and the average person would only have access to processed foods, contributing to the global rising of mental health issues.
#5 : More Awareness
And now for the final, and most popular reason, increased awareness. There is no doubt in the fact that the stigma around mental health has reduced since prior years, and people are becoming more open towards sharing and educating others on it.
Apps like TikTok have grown significantly in popularity since the time of its creation, growing from $11 million in 2017 to $4,856 million today (“Home App Data TikTok Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024)”). While TikTok has been prone to self-diagnosis of mental illness, it more so provides a platform for sharing educational material. Many find it easier to talk about their own experiences online rather than anywhere else. This comfort and openness about mental health issues contributes to the rising rates. Additionally, the more people are educated by professionals on these apps, the more likely it is people with mental illness to search for a clinical diagnosis.
Conclusion
Mental health has been an issue for centuries, and nowadays, it is coming to the forefront of our society. Unfortunately, society is still geared towards lifestyles that would induce mental illness. As awareness increases worldwide, we can only hope that systems will change gradually and the world becomes mentally healthy.
Until then, we can combat mental illness with simple things. We can spending time with the people we love, staying on top of our finances, and let ourselves relax, eating healthy. But most importantly, bringing awareness in our own community. Every person plays a role in society, and working together, we can make these statistics a little less disheartening.