A new robust, in-depth study that interviewed over 5,000 young adults from 2001 to 2002 has found that nearly half of them (47.7%) likely have a diagnosable mental disorder — most commonly, alcohol abuse, depression, ADHD or anxiety.
One in five was also found to meet the criteria for a personality disorder, a more chronic condition that often interferes with the person’s ability to interact in a healthy manner with others at school, work, or in relationships.
The study also compared those attending college with those who weren’t, to see if mental concerns were more prevalent in one group, or if specific concerns occurred with more frequency. It found overall rates similar between the two groups, but alcohol-related concerns significantly more prevalent in those attending college (surprise, surprise!). College students, however, were less likely to have a substance abuse or nicotine problem, and were less often diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Not surprising (but still eye-opening) was the fact that the vast majority of young adults never seek treatments for these concerns. Only about a quarter of those who qualified for a diagnosis had received treatment for a mental disorder (compared with about 33% of the general population who have a diagnosable mental disorer seek treatment for it).
I say “not surprising” because treatment as a young adult is difficult to come by. At university, the only readily accessible treatment option is the student counseling center, which often is only equipped to focus on non-serious mental disorders and concerns (such as procrastination, test anxiety, and relationship issues). Outside of college, options are even more limited, as many young adults choose not to have health insurance (or can’t afford it), and therefore would have to pay significant costs for treatment (or spend up to a year on a wait-list waiting for treatment from a community health or mental health center).
A study such as this also raises the very real concern and age-old debate about over-diagnosis and whether we’re becoming a society that has a label for every discomfort. The last edition (4th) of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (the DSM, the diagnostic bible that defines mental disorders) greatly expanded the breadth of disorders from the previous edition. The edition currently under development (5th) threatens to expand the number even more, potentially defining virtually any dysfunctional behavior which causes some distress as a disorder on the same playing field as depression or bipolar disorder.
I don’t know the answer, but according to the current criteria, a lot of young people are grappling with some pretty serious concerns. Many of whom would benefit from treatment, if only we had a way to reach out to more of them and provide an economical way to pay for it.
Read the full article: Half of Young Adults Have Mental Disorder
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2 Comments to
“Mental Disorders Common in Young Adults”
Interesting.
Perhaps the reason why mental disorders are common in young adults today is because they are overlooked by either their parents or the school system. People are so quick to normalize things because it’s very difficult to accept reality, that when a child has a problem the behavior is seen as typical or perhaps a problem of adjustment, etc.
Another reason could be the fault of the psychological system. In other words, many children are misdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all. Very mild symptoms of say ADHD, high functioning autism, or depression may be seen as normal and overlooked by a psychologist/psychiatrist. Only in adulthood, once the behaviors have advanced, will the individual be diagnosed.
Also, some disorders are not evident until early adulthood, particularly 18 years old. For example, schizophrenia isn’t noticeable until this age.
What about those who go to college or abuse drugs? Perhaps substance abuse has something to do with the onset of young adult mental illnesses, such as drug induced schizophrenia or depression. College-life can be extremely difficult for some. Usually students report symptoms of suicide here and depression. Maybe the “work-load” is too much or the transitioning period.
It really is a complicated situation and rather sad because something could be wrong with the way we diagnose individuals, the attention we pay to people and the possibility of a mental illness, or the timing of when individuals can meet DSM criterion, or the way teachers view mental illness in the schools, and the mental health education of parents and teachers.
The question for me is: what can we do to decrease the amount of young adults with mental illness today and is this possible?
Reading your article, I asked myself whether the medical model overtaking psychology has contributed to the current phenomena of over-diagnosis. I think part of the issue is most parents seek treatment for their children and adolescents via the pediatrician, who makes a diagnosis which usually comes with medication and a referral for psychotherapy.
In addition, our schools have become a place of increased stress for the kids. Our teachers are not usually trained therapeutically and they attribute the ADHD and ADD labels to kids who are experiencing trauma related symptomology.
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Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 2 Dec 2008
