Millennials are at higher risk of mental health issues than any other generation. Unprecedented levels of anxiety and depression are making millennials a ‘generation on edge’. In fact, 44% of millennials say they are stressed all or most of the time.
This generation’s sense of wellbeing across areas of health, relationships, and finances is low. They are becoming more and more socially isolated, with their sense of belonging having plummeted by over 30% in the last decade . At least one in five millennials will report depression in the workplace and amongst the generation, it’s women who are the most anxious. And then there’s the covid-19 factor, which has exacerbated these issues.
Why does this matter? Because the cost factor is huge. As it already stands, one of the biggest challenges organisations are facing in 2021 is how to manage rising rates of mental health.
Workplaces need to rise to the mental health challenge and set up structures to support their workforce.
Managing challenges always begins with awareness. To effectively understand the ‘how to’ we need to know the ‘why’. Some of the biggest contributors to millennial mental health challenges include:
1. Pressure
Millennials are great at putting themselves under pressure – a conditioned trait that goes back to childhood. They were raised to believe they could be, do or have anything they wanted, if they tried hard enough. Add on the conditioned need for rewards (their measure of success) and there lies the perfect backdrop for pressure fueled work and personal lives. Effects in the workplace: Overcommitting to work, not speaking up when workload is too much, operating in silo and not asking for help.
2. Perfectionism
Millennials suffer from a stronger perfectionist trait than other generations. Alarmingly, it’s not just perfection in its “simple form”, but multidimensional in nature. Effects in the workplace: Labouring over tasks, indecision, internalisation, worrying what people think, questioning worth or esteem.
3. Reward depletion
Millennials have spent so much time achieving goals and receiving rewards, that satisfaction thresholds has elevated so much so, they are barely hitting the mark anymore. Effects in the workplace: The constant strives and pressure to achieve more by taking on extra work or tasks, education or setting unrealistic goals.
Increasing awareness on the ‘why factors’ brings knowledge – and with knowledge, the ability to act. For workplaces in particular, being cognizant of predisposing factors for millennials affords a greater opportunity to not just resonate with this generation but provide support in a meaningful way.
Taking an active role and adopting the simple principles of awareness, knowledge and intentional action is the key.
