The coronavirus pandemic has left more young Australian adults in severe psychological distress, a new study from the Australian National University (ANU) has revealed.
ANU researchers surveyed more than 3,000 Australians and compared their mental health data before and after the COVID-19 outbreak.
They found out that those in the 18 to 24 and 25 to 34 age brackets were significantly worse off in terms of mental wellbeing compared to those who are older.
The report revealed a rise in the proportion of 18 to 24-year-olds experiencing severe psychological distress, from 14% in February 2017 to 22.3% in April 2020.
The figures for adults aged 25 to 34 years old also increased from 11.5% to 18% during the period.
The survey also showed Australians were experiencing less stress than people in the U.S. However, younger Australian adults had similar stress levels to Americans the same age.
“While the benefits of social distancing and lockdown have been large largely to do with physical health, the downside has been the impacts on young people's mental health,” said Associate Professor Ben Edwards from ANU’s Centre for Social Research and Methods.
“Reductions in employment opportunities are having a significant impact on Millennials and Generation Z. They don't have the kind of financial buffer older Australians have,” he said.
Associate Professor Edwards added that the psychological distress young people were experiencing will have a long-lasting impact on their lives.
“We need to consider what we can do to address the needs of our youth,” he said.
One of the report’s silver lining was that Australians were more hopeful about the future than Americans, with almost 60% feeling very optimistic compared to 52% for those in the U.S.
“Almost two-thirds of Australians say they feel hopeful about the future at least three to four days of the week,” Associate Professor Edward said.
“Feeling hopeful can soften some negative mental health impacts”.