One in Five Teens And Young Adults Struggle With Depression; Faith May be the Answer

Want to learn more about the connection between mental health and faith among teenagers? In this article, Erin Odom digs into the influence of work, social comparison, and faith on Gen Z anxiety and depression.

When asked, nearly 75% of Gen Z say they’re happy, the Gallup-Walton Family Foundation Voices of Gen Z study recently discovered.

Surveyors found that the level of fulfillment Gen Zers experience in school and work has a major impact on happiness.

Fourteen-year-old Grant Miller of Charlotte, N.C. is among those in Gen Z who have seen school make or break how happy he feels. His 7th grade year was tough, he said, but he became happier when his grades improved during his recent 8th grade year.

“School drains me so emotionally that normal things I typically enjoy don’t seem fun anymore,” Miller says. “But 8th grade was 1,000% better than 7th grade. I didn’t have to worry about school, academically.”

Thirteen-year-old Elliot Boyd, a middle schooler who recently switched from public school to a parochial school in Portland, Ore., agrees that his fulfilling school life has increased his overall contentment. “I get to hang out with my friends all day,” he explains.

If you’re wondering, “How does faith affect mental health?” or “What can help teenagers with anxiety and depression?” you’re in the right place.

Nature of Work Influences Gen Z Happiness

Gen Zers, born between 1997 and 2012, report higher happiness levels while doing meaningful work rather than performing jobs that just pay the bills.

Collin Kitchen, a 20-year-old college student from Texas, works two jobs, though he admits only one position greatly fulfills him. “I am happy because of the type of work that I do at a church,” he explains. “It is very rewarding and gives me purpose.”

But when speaking of his second job as a store clerk, where he receives a low hourly wage, Kitchen admits, “It does not add to my contentment at all.”

Kitchen said his overall happiness would be much lower without his church work.

Nearly Half of Gen Zers Often Feel Anxious

Despite high levels of happiness reported among the 2,271 12- to 26-year-old study participants, just under half (47%) report frequently feeling anxious, and 22% say they are often depressed. Fewer than half feel their lives always have meaning.

When her first semester of college didn’t turn out the way she had imagined, 19-year-old Grace McClure decided to take a semester off to work and explore what other universities had to offer.

While on her gap semester, McClure, a long-time Catholic from North Carolina, realized her struggles to connect with God impacted her mental health.

Even while busy with school and work, she began listening to the Bible using the popular Hallow podcast, “Bible in a Year” by Father Mike Schmitz.

“I started (reading) the Bible in a year to grow and get closer to my Father,” she shares. “I wanted to start at the beginning of the year and grow close to Him through His Word. It has drastically improved my mental health. Knowing someone who loves you so much is such a gift. The joy He brings is incomparable to anything else.”

McClure credits her close relationship with God as the catalyst for seeing “incredible improvements” in her life, such as “a decrease in anxiety and fear, and an increase in contentment, joy, peace, and love.” 

To McClure, Gen Zers’ happiness and faith often overlap.

Social Comparison Impacts Happiness Levels

Along with school and work driving Gen Zers’ contentment, the survey shows that the happiest Gen Zers are less likely to compare themselves to others via social media or in person.

Forty percent of happy Gen Zers said they compare themselves to others, while 55% of those who said they are unhappy admitted comparing themselves to others. Additionally, those who compare themselves to others are more than twice as likely to feel anxious. 

McClure believes social media and websites only fuel discontentment and poor mental health among her peers. 

“(For) Gen Z, a lot of our world is online, which is proven to increase anxiety, prohibit deeper human connections, and limit community,” she points out. “Faith-building activities, such as prayer journaling, in communities could be a huge benefit to bring young people closer to God and create stronger relationships with those around them.”