A recent UC San Francisco research revealed that half of young individuals reported mental health symptoms during the epidemic, and a third couldn't receive counselling.
The study used data from the U.S. Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey (HPS) to estimate the prevalence of anxiety and/or depression symptoms in a sample of 2,809 persons aged 18-25. The data included rates of mental health care usage and unmet demand for mental health therapy.
Among individuals with symptoms, 39% utilised prescription drugs and/or received therapy, whereas 36% had unmet counselling needs. Female, Hispanic, and uninsured young individuals had the largest unmet demand.
UCSF's Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine's Sally Adams, PhD, RN, said the "unmet demand" estimates were unexpected. The fact that just one-third of people with symptoms received care led Adams to believe that two-thirds had unmet needs. This might be because they didn't think their symptoms were severe enough to warrant treatment or feared the stigma of seeking mental health assistance.
Despite the high incidence of mental health symptoms in this survey, the CDC found 63 percent of young people had depression or anxiety a year earlier in June 2020.Nonetheless, the authors write, the prevalence of mental health issues among young adults underscores the need to remove barriers to care such as cost, stigma, and privacy.

The number, distribution, and capability of the mental health workforce must also be improved, according to UCSF paediatrician Charles Irwin Jr. According to him, despite the growth of virtual platforms for mental health care, the present demand for services surpasses supply. The authors argue that identifying and treating mental health symptoms is critical to boosting young adults' current and future well-being.