Over the past year, the Petris Center has been conducting a study in collaboration with the Berkeley Center for the Future of Young Americans (BIFYA) on the alarming rise of anxiety in Millennials. The project has recently released its first policy brief, “The Anxious Generation: Causes and Consequences of Anxiety Disorder Among Young Americans.” The brief documents the study’s preliminary findings on the spike of anxiety among college students and young Americans. Today, anxiety disorder is the top presenting concern at college counseling centers, and rates are not only increasing, but also growing at a rate faster than depression and all mental health disorders combined.
Existing research points to several possible factors contributing to this rise in anxiety, including financial stress, technology, social media, and sociopolitical factors. The next phase of the study, led by Petris Center Director Dr. Richard Scheffler, will delve into each of these determinants, and explore whether certain cohorts are more at risk, measure the economic cost of rising anxiety, and propose policy solutions.
You can read the full policy brief here.
You can read BIFYA’s press release about the study and brief here.