Young people are not broken: mental health and the generation gap

Alastair Greener FPSA Generational communication expert, author and President of the PSA UK and Ireland 2026 Published 15 October 2026 · 6 min read

Young people's mental health has worsened, but they are not broken: they are responding to the world they grew up in. NHS England found that 23.3% of 17 to 19 year olds had a probable mental disorder in 2023, against 10.1% in 2017. Older generations often read that as fragility. At work, the answer is to stop comparing generations and start listening to them.

Young people are not broken. They are responding to the world they grew up in, and the rise in poor mental health among them is real. NHS England's survey of children and young people, published in November 2023, found that 23.3% of 17 to 19 year olds in England had a probable mental disorder in 2023, up from 10.1% in 2017.

Probable mental disorder among 17 to 19 year oldsShare of 17 to 19 year olds in England with a probable mental disorder

201710.1%
202323.3%

Source: NHS England, published November 2023

Today's teenagers and young adults grew up with smartphones, but that's only part of the story. They lived through a pandemic during critical years of their development, with long spells of isolation from friends, in a digital world that never switches off. That's a unique combination.

Is young people's mental health really getting worse?

On the evidence, yes. The same NHS survey found that among 17 to 25 year olds, rates were twice as high for young women as for young men. The Resolution Foundation reported in February 2024 that over one in three 18 to 24 year olds (34%) reported symptoms of a common mental disorder such as depression or anxiety, up from 24% in 2000.

That doesn't mean every young person is struggling, or that the headlines tell the whole story. I'd argue this is also the generation most open about discussing mental health, and seeking help isn't necessarily a sign of increased distress. It may mean they feel able to get support in a way previous generations didn't.

Why do older generations see young people as fragile?

Because we compare them with ourselves at the same age and forget that the world we grew up in looked very different. In July 2026 the Chartered Management Institute reported that 61% of managers believe younger workers are more likely than other age groups to lack resilience, professionalism, communication skills and the ability to accept and act on feedback. 70% of young people feel employers hold a negative bias against their generation.

When consultant psychologist Dr Stacy Moore joined me on the podcast to talk about the psychology of generations, she argued that Gen Z's emotional fluency is often misread as fragility, while Boomer stoicism can mask silent struggles. We are framed by our generation, not defined by it, and a young person who says they're anxious is telling you something useful.

23.3%of 17 to 19 year olds in England had a probable mental disorder in 2023, up from 10.1% in 2017NHS England, November 2023

34%of 18 to 24 year olds reported symptoms of a common mental disorder, up from 24% in 2000Resolution Foundation, February 2024

53%of HR managers see big age differences in expectations of wellbeing supportGenerations in the Workplace Study 2023

What has shaped this generation's mental health?

The pandemic is part of it, and phones are another part. Paddy Crump, Campaigns Director at Flip Gen and a digital wellbeing campaigner, told me on the podcast about Gen Z, digital wellbeing and entering the workplace that he struggled at school, that his mental health was really bad during Covid, and that social media didn't really help.

Jonathan Haidt's 2024 book The Anxious Generation argues that the shift from play-based to phone-based childhoods has damaged young people's mental health. Not everyone accepts that: reviewing the book in Nature in March 2024, Candice Odgers wrote that its repeated suggestion that digital technologies are causing an epidemic of mental illness "is not supported by science". Whether you agree with every conclusion or not, the world young people grew up in is not the one their parents grew up in. In my view, this is a generation shaped by financial insecurity, climate anxiety and the long-term effects of Covid, and many feel they'll have to work harder to achieve what their parents had.

Why does young people's mental health matter at work?

Because it affects whether young people get into work and stay there. The Resolution Foundation found that between 2018 and 2022, 21% of 18 to 24 year olds with mental health problems were workless, against 13% of those without.

It's also a sound investment. In March 2022 Deloitte estimated an average £5 return for every £1 employers spend on wellbeing support, and noted that younger employees' mental health had been more adversely affected during the pandemic. Our own 2023 study found that 53% of HR managers see big age differences in expectations of wellbeing support, so one approach won't suit everyone.

What can employers do to support young people's mental health?

Stop comparing generations and start listening to them. Behaviours that look unfamiliar are often rational responses to a changed world.

Train managers to notice. Invest in helping managers stay attuned to their team's wellbeing, especially when people work remotely, and make it normal to talk about mental health.

Understand their world. Youth communication coach Tyler Thompson, talking about why mental health sounds different to every generation, urged older people to spend time where young people are and to understand their world as much as they can.

Explain the unwritten rules. New starters are often left to guess the norms nobody writes down, which adds anxiety nobody needs. Spell them out.

Keep standards, and add support. Younger people need support, boundaries and understanding as they learn to cope with that world. Standards and challenge still matter, and so does accepting that the world has changed. Our guide to Generation Z covers what else the data says about them.

So, are we understanding young people's struggles, or just misunderstanding them?

Frequently asked questions

Is young people's mental health getting worse?

On the evidence, yes. NHS England found that 23.3% of 17 to 19 year olds in England had a probable mental disorder in 2023, up from 10.1% in 2017. The Resolution Foundation found that 34% of 18 to 24 year olds reported symptoms of a common mental disorder, up from 24% in 2000. Greater openness may also mean more young people now seek help.

Why do managers think young workers lack resilience?

Often because they compare young people with themselves at the same age, without allowing for a very different world. In July 2026 the CMI reported that 61% of managers believe younger workers are more likely than other age groups to lack resilience, professionalism, communication skills and the ability to accept and act on feedback, while 70% of young people feel employers hold a negative bias against their generation.

What can employers do to support young employees' mental health?

Listen before comparing, train managers to notice changes in wellbeing, make it normal to talk about mental health, explain the unwritten rules of the workplace, and keep clear standards while offering support. Ask each person what helps rather than assuming by age: 53% of HR managers in our 2023 study see big age differences in expectations of wellbeing support.

Is investing in employee mental health worth it?

Deloitte's analysis for UK employers, published in March 2022, found an average £5 return for every £1 spent on wellbeing support. It also noted that younger employees' mental health had been more adversely affected during the pandemic, which makes support for early-career staff a practical priority.

Listen to Alastair's podcast conversations with psychologists, campaigners and young people about mental health across the generations.

Listen to the podcast