Summary
Anxiety Disorders Increasing among College Students
Did you know that today, anxiety tops as the most pressing mental health concern among college students?
- 39% of Millennials say their stress has increased in the last year, compared to 36% of Generation Xers, 33% of Boomers, and 39% of Silents.
- While 61% of adults report doing enough to manage stress, only 51% of Millennials say they are doing enough to manage stress.
- Since 2007, University of California health centers witnessed a 54% increase in students seeking access to mental health services.
- Women are 60% more likely than men to experience an anxiety disorder over their lifetime.
- Among adults who reported unmet mental health service need, nearly 45 percent reported that cost was a major barrier to receiving care.
To date, public policy, public health, medical, and economic disciplines have yet to fully examine the many underlying complicated factors driving these trends. This study investigates what is causing the increase in anxiety among young adults, it projects what the consequences may be for young Americans and for society as a whole if the problem goes unresolved, and it explores what the right policy solutions are to address it.
