US students quietly demand affordable therapy
Thanks to smartphones, social media, and ubiquitous technology, young adults find themselves in mental health crises without the resources available to them.
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What started with a website, Myspace for the Millennial generation, quickly surpassed people’s imagination as tech giants entered the field, leaving everyone’s brain with multiple tabs open, pulled into an alternate reality and a point of obsession for this generation. Unsurprisingly, almost 80% of 18-24 year olds use Snapchat and 71% use Instagram. As usage increases, Gen Z and Millennials no longer see the happiness they glorify in their posts every day.
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Although this generation of fresh minds had the opportunity to connect via the World Wide Web, they received neither the resources needed to combat potential side effects nor affordable access to a healthcare system that prioritized their mental stability. The lack of help affects their lives in many ways. Overall, 21% say it affects their academic performance, 15% say it affects their work, and almost 15% say they have considered suicide. 28% of them admit to having already consulted due to lack of professional resources.
What may surprise you is that although they are more embarrassed than women when it comes to worrying about someone seeking therapy (35% of men gave a reason for not seeking therapy, compared to 28% of women), more men (64%) than women (43%) have sought medical attention for their mental health concerns.
To overcome this problem, it is important that the healthcare system removes barriers to entry. This includes the fact that just over 25% of Rethink survey respondents cite a lack of doctors in their area as a barrier to seeking help, and 23% say they simply don’t have the time. When it comes to cost, nearly 30% of Americans think therapy is too expensive, and nearly 30% say their insurance doesn’t cover therapy. Additionally, just under half of those surveyed (around 44%) can afford the average cost of a therapy session ($150) IF they attended therapy once a month (i.e. their monthly budget would only allow for one in-person session).
With cost and convenience being the biggest challenges to overcome, it’s clear that there is an opportunity to solve this epidemic: 33% of respondents said they would speak to a therapist from the comfort of their own bedroom if they could. While we may not be able to end the overwhelming obsession with social media or fix a healthcare system that doesn’t place enough emphasis on quality mental health services, virtual therapy can help this generation get the help they need.
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