Mental Illness Has Risen 500% in College-Age Youth since The Great Depression! January 20, 2010
Ian Welham on reports showing mental illness has risen dramatically in college-age kids
Today’s fast-paced life filled with time-saving smart technology and “you can do anything” larger-than-life expectations may actually have an opposite effect on today’s college-bound students by creating anxiety and stress. This coupled with society’s constant obsession with celebrities, their lifestyles, looks and possessions has students concerned more with the quantity in life instead of the quality.
The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, a respected questionnaire that dates back to 1938, has found some troubling differentials concerning the mental stability of today’s college-bound students versus the youth of the Great Depression. About 77,576 high school and college students have been surveyed. The study’s lead author has compiled the results from years of data.
According to the report, feelings of anxiety have increased from 5% to 31%, and depression has risen from 1% to 6%. Clearly, teens are feeling parental pressure, as well as (stated or implied) demands to “succeed,” with the college process certainly contributing.
There is also a significant rise in teens having trouble with authority—increasing from 5% to 24%. A worrisome thought is that the actual mental illness numbers may be even higher, but are being disguised by anti-depressant medication.
Another study performed in 2008 at UCLA found that 77% of college students questioned reported that being financially well off was “essential” or “very important,” to them. Furthermore, these college students equated the worth of their education to the amount of money they make when they graduate.
In a world influenced by the unrealistic expectations promulgated by American Idol and reality TV, students expect their dreams to come quickly—and with an extra-large paycheck. Are they setting themselves up for disappointment?
