And while there has been a drop in levels of self-esteem, optimism and life satisfaction, those getting support from supportive adults in their lives has increased.When it comes to whether these issues are actually more prevalent among this generation, or whether there is simply greater awareness, there are mixed views.
“You can’t turn anywhere without finding out something new and awful about the world. You can either be upset and angry and afraid – or you can ignore it and feel awful for ignoring it,” he says. A bugbear for some is that this is a generation that has been encouraged to be more open about mental health issues.Yet, when they voice their opinions, they are labelled “snowflakes” and told of how previous generations had it even tougher.
Early intervention, support and prevention is key to help prevent problems boiling over into crises, says Henchy.