You may have a friend who has been affected a lot with mental illnesses. They’re depressed and anxious. This may be happening to you, but you may not be aware of it. 

According to an online article titled, “Why Gen Z Is More Open to Talking About Their Mental Health” by Arlin Cuncic, a study shows that Gen Z is more likely to go to therapy or get treatment than previous generations.  Also, the author found that Gen Z is more likely to report poor mental health.  This might be because Generation Z is more open to these issues because they are more connected to social media which allows them to be more comfortable with sharing their problems.

Also, the author found that Gen Z is more likely to report poor mental health. This might be because of how much the awareness has grown during this generation, which has introduced a large number of resources and services for mental health.

FACE Liaison Blanca Suarez helps students and families and has advice about how feeling connections with people can help with mental illnesses.

“Feeling connections with others can help ward off symptoms of stress, depression and anxiety,” she said.

Deanna Kay Fink is a social worker intern.  She thinks that social media is a good platform for opening up.  She has concerns too that if it is not limited, you may be exposed to topics that may lead to depression and anxiety.

“I do believe that social media should be limited but in terms of technology, it is a great source,” she said.

Gen Z is more likely to go to therapy or get treatment than previous generations.

“Mental health is talked about more than other generations which is good,” Fink said.

Tragedies such as sudden deaths and mass shootings are affecting mental health. 

“In my opinion, tragic events really affect people’s mental health because those tragic events can lead to trauma. Experiencing the loss of a loved one is very traumatic and heart breaking. As humans we begin to feel sad, angry and hopeless. This is when it is important to be honest about our feelings,” Suarez said.

There’s a large number of coping strategies to these issues. One may include hobbies that can take off anything from your mind.

“Also, just staying busy, for instance, joining sports or doing something you enjoy, really helps young people improve their mental health,” Suarez said.