Poor Mental Health Is Common among Young Adults

On how many days in the past month has your mental health not been good? When asked that question, the 55 percent majority of the public answers "none," according to the General Social Survey—their mental health is just fine, thank you. But a substantial 45 percent of Americans say their mental health has not been good on one or more days in the past month.

There are few differences in the percentage with poor mental health by race and Hispanic origin or education. But there are differences by sex: 49 percent of women versus a smaller 39 percent of men say their mental health has not been good on at least one day in the past month. There are even bigger differences by generation, with Millennials most likely to experience poor mental health...

One or more days of poor mental health in past month
Millennials (22 to 39): 48%
Gen Xers (40 to 51): 46%
Boomers (52 to 70): 41%
Older (71 or older): 36%

Similarly, 48 percent of Millennials admit to having ever felt like they were going to have a nervous breakdown, according to another question on the General Social Survey—a higher percentage than in any other generation. Among the oldest Americans, only 14 percent say they have ever felt like they were on the brink of a breakdown.

Source: Demo Memo analysis of the 2016 General Social Survey