50% youth depressed due to COVID lockdown

The past eight months (and the remaining ones) are unprecedented and challenging in many ways. Fear of catching COVID, health issues, stress, disruptions, social isolation have been cumbersome. The lockdown also forced many to lose their job, work for longer hours in ways they weren't used to, stay away from friends, family and live life in a different way.

While many quarantine measures were put in place to safeguard our health, the lockdown brought around a global crisis for people's mental well-being. More and more people reported undergoing stress, experiencing blues and are finding it troublesome to maintain their mental health in times of pandemic. Google searches for mental health spiked up in the past months. While the elderlies feel the loneliest in the lockdown, the lockdown was mentally strenuous for the millennials and the Gen Z, as per a new study

According to a recent global health survey done by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), 1 in 2 youngsters were prone to experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depression, with over 17% suffering due to the consequent impact of COVID-19.

The study

The findings of the survey have been published in a report titled, ‘Youth and Covid-19: impacts on jobs, education, rights and mental well-being’. For the survey, over 12,000 responses were received from 112 countries, with a large proportion coming from educated youth and those with internet access.

The survey involved individuals between the ages of 18-29, who were asked to talk about a host of factors such as employment, education, mental health and social well-being.

According to the survey's reports, individuals recorded more than one cause for a surge in mental health problems.

For the younger ones, a shift in means of education and apparent uncertainty made them prone to experiencing anxiety. Months-long pandemic ensured that from schools, colleges, workplaces and recreational centres, everything was closed down. Many students were left in the loom regarding their higher education and had to cope with the perils of online classes and exams.

For those in their 20s and 30s, job crunches, losses added to problems of worry. Working from home, extended working hours, coupled with additional responsibilities drove many to experience symptoms of burnout as well, a serious mental health crisis.

Young students most affected

Even though the lockdown gave many a time to hone new skills and learn something new, for the young students prepping for higher education, distant learning proved cumbersome. As per the report's findings, a whopping 65% of young people reported having learned less since the beginning of the pandemic because of the transition from the classroom to online education.

Nearly 50% of the younger students said that they feared the pandemic delaying their education and at least 9% said they feared 'failing' in their exams, which drove them to experience mental stress.

The report also pinpointed to an apparent skewed difference between men and women. It was observed that mental well-being was a low scored in young women and more so, those between the ages of 18-24.

Analysis

The ILO study pointed out if the challenges aren't dealt with, the world might face an unprecedented health crisis even after the pandemic ends, which can impact the quality of life and could further deteriorate factors which contribute to well- being.

from LifeStyle