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Gen Z Is Hardest Hit By Pandemic Mental Stress: Study

Half of teens surveyed don't see a possible future.

If the young people in your life seem more miserable and overwhelmed than usual, take them seriously: Out of all age groups, Gen Z is the most stressed out by 2020. An annual U.S. survey on stress is raising the alarm over a teen mental health crisis that’s gotten worse because of the pandemic and societal unrest. Watch the video above to hear how teens have been faring over the last several months.

Gen-Zers reported the highest levels of stress out of all age groups, with half of respondents saying that they can’t imagine planning for the future — understandably so, the survey noted, given their development stage.

Created by the American Psychological Association, the survey notes that people young and old have mentally suffered because of multiple sources of stress: COVID-19′s impact, lockdowns, isolation, the tanking economy, and structural racism are just the tip of the iceberg.

How can grown-ups support teen mental health? Showing teens love and appreciation is strongly recommended by the survey and organizations like UNICEF.

Discouraging “catastrophizing,” a cognitive distortion that assumes the worst is yet to come, can also help reduce their stress (and yours!)

Check out: How to help your kid or teen manage mental health struggles. Story continues after the slideshow.

Listen and try to be understanding

Help your child suffering from mental health problems

“Thinking ‘This is doomsday ... we’re never going to get past this’ — that is going to make it much more difficult to manage your mental health and stress during this particular time period,” Psychologist Dr. Erlanger Turner said in the Newsy video.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.