Millennials: Depressed…And Not Afraid to Talk About It

Loneliness, money stress, and burnout all contribute to elevated levels of depression among millennials. Defined by the Pew Research Center as those individuals aged between 23 and 38 (as of 2019), this generation has seen a 47% increase in major-depression diagnoses. Underscoring this statistic is the fact that mental health-related diseases are the most prevalent condition affecting millennials.

According to Harvard Medical School, the most frequent symptom of major depression is "a severe and persistent low mood, profound sadness, or a sense of despair." When considered in context, the rise of such a condition is not surprising. In 2019, millennials carry an average of $34,504 per borrower in student loan debt, an 8% increase from a year ago. Add to this the fact that homes are 39% more expensive than they were 40 years ago and that the cost of healthcare has increased nine-fold and it becomes clear why things look bleak for millennials.

Such affordability problems make saving near-impossible and, as a result, millennials are financially behind previous generations. Only 31% expect to own a home, but of these, most admit they haven’t started saving. Failure to meet such adult milestones jeopardizes mental-health, with studies showing clear links between financial struggles and depression.

In addition, millennials are burnt out and lonely. The World Health Organization recently legitimized burnout by considering it a “syndrome” and because of trends like rising workloads, limited staff, and long hours, it is one that is on the rise. What’s more, because millennials marry later and are less connected to political and religious communities, they report higher rates of loneliness. According to one study, 25% of millennials say they have no acquaintances, 22% have no friends, and 30% have no best friends.

Luckily, millennials are also the generation most likely to seek out therapy or other treatment for depression. Cognizant of mental health and raised by parents who themselves went to therapy, this generation no longer approached therapy with the stigma once attached to the practice. However, not all forms a depression respond to traditional forms of treatment, including therapy, and hence knowing about alternatives is crucial.

Ketamine clinics are a new avenue for treating depression that have demonstrated exciting results. Aimed at those varieties of depression that do not respond to antidepressants or talk therapy, these clinics have demonstrated remarkable success through the administration of ketamine infusions. If you find yourself or a loved one suffering from persistent, major depression and have struggled to find effective treatment, our clinic might be an avenue worthy of exploration. Contact us to learn more »