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Younger generations are experiencing burnout and mental health issues and leaving their jobs at an alarming rate. Here is how to face this challenge.
With unemployment at 50-year lows, and competition for employees increasing, businesses continue to struggle to attract top talent. Moving forward, however, businesses face perhaps a more significant challenge, one that is hindering the ability to keep talent, especially among young workers.
That issue? Burnout.
According to a Mind Share Partners, SAP, and Qualtrics study, which surveyed 1,500 full-time employees ages 16 and older, burnout is happening at an alarming rate. The survey showed that 75 percent of Generation Z employees and half of Millennials employees have left jobs due to mental health reasons.
Moreover, Jean Twenge, PhD, professor of psychology at San Diego State University, published research with the American Psychological Association, which went further to point out the extent of the issue.
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The rate of individuals reporting symptoms consistent with major depression in the last 12 months increased 52 percent in adolescents from 2005 to 2017 (from 8.7 percent to 13.2 percent) and increased 63 percent in young adults age 18 to 25 from 2009 to 2017 (from 8.1 percent to 13.2 percent).
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There was also a 71 percent increase in young adults experiencing serious psychological distress in the previous 30 days from 2008 to 2017 (from 7.7 percent to 13.1 percent).
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The rate of young adults with suicidal thoughts or other suicide-related outcomes increased 47 percent from 2008 to 2017 (from 7.0 percent to 10.3 percent).
Speaking to CNBC, Professor Twenge, who is also the author of iGen: Why Today's Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy--and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood--and What That Means for the Rest of Us, believes the reason for these mental health issues is due to the fact that younger adults are sacrificing and replacing sleep and important face-to-face interactions with screen time.
Twenge notes that the trend correlates with when the majority of Americans owned a smartphone, sometime around 2012. This is also when the mental health issues started becoming a problem.
Boston College research professor, Peter Gray, believes the issue goes back a half-century. Also according to CNBC, Gray explained that the anxiety experienced by today's youth stems from a gradual erosion in our schools and parenting, as society has slowly eroded our children's internal locus of control, or the belief that individuals have control over the events and outcomes of their lives, both good and bad.
Regardless of the cause, managers need to address this issue, especially considering the significant cost to replace employees, which can be as much as 20 percent of an employee's yearly salary.
How do entrepreneurs handle this? It starts with company culture.
First, companies need to accept that this is an issue, one that does not appear to be solving itself. Therefore, managers need to adopt policies that recognize that mental health is a priority and establish a means for employees to report it.
This all starts by being established and communicated by leadership and implemented by managers, and it includes taking an active role in supporting mental health through support and training.
Companies also need to encourage employees to speak openly about the issue. According to a report at the Harvard Business Review, "60 percent of employees have never spoken to anyone at work about their mental health status," and companies are not doing much about it, even though over 200 million workdays -- $16.8 billion in productivity -- are lost due to mental health conditions each year.
Throughout my career, I have been a "tough love" advocate, and someone who scrapped through my young years piecing together a modest career. I have always leaned toward a "suck-it-up" attitude, believing that to achieve and progress, you had to "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" during difficult times.
The fact is, however, my attitude is not suited for today's -- or tomorrow's -- workforce. The cultural influences of generations past are just different, and whether we want to accept it or not, younger generations are entering the workforce, one shared by all of us, with different experiences and expectations.
Moreover, I will honestly and openly admit that there were times in my career that challenged me personally and professionally so much that, to some degree or another, I experienced varying levels of depression. I never sought help because of the stigma around it, and I wonder how my career -- and certainly my hairline -- would be different if I had.
Seeing others admit to similar challenges and talking about it openly helps tremendously, which is why leadership should lead in this regard. And if you are still self conscious about admitting this issue personally, remember that if Dwayne Johnson can speak honestly about his mental health, I think we all can.
I was reading an article where 3 out of 4 members of Gen Z quit their jobs due to mental health issues. These issues have affected people before millenials but usually not talked about so the people never sought help. Some people do not get help.
Mental health is a crisis in our nation, and it's staggering to see how young it is starting. I was listening to the news this morning, and the discussion was on a 10 year old girl who just committed suicide after being a victim of bullying. I'd like to think that i'd see the warning signs with my child, but many of them sit in their own silence. I have family that suffers from mental illness, and it saddens me that they won't reach out for the help necessary to get better. There are resources, even if you just call your family doctor, or pick up the phone and call a hotline. Okay, maybe take the last comment back. Our system in general is messed up because of insurance prices. Hospitals are quick to release patients without giving them the help the patient needs, and often it's because of insurance issues. Social media, has totally made an impact on our society, and people no longer have to interact with one another in an intimate and personal way any longer. People who have a predisposition because of their DNA, are also major factors that contribute to mental illness. Employers should be mandated to have some plan of action to keep employees emotional health a priority. Resources, such as a therapist, meditations rooms, and Yoga rooms would be beneficial.
I wish mental health was treated in the same ways that physical health is, someone will be quick to tell you to go to the doctor if you have a fever, but resources for taking care of mental health can often be harder to come by. I know for my insurance looking online at what it covers it seems like therapists and stuff like that seem to be a gray area, not so clear on what is covered as with other things, like pregnancy, which is specified exactly what is covered and not.
I think this is happening so that the culture will change and so that people will realize how important wellness is and taking care of your emotional needs. And you don't have to change in a "rebellious" way like the article says you can do it without having to make someone else wrong you just show that there is another way. Some yoga teachers at the studio go over and teach classes at corporations for this reason.
I agree with you Angie.
Mental health is a crisis in this country. Too many people stay quiet about their mental health issues. This may lead to acting out in inappropriate ways on the job when problems arise. People are reprimanded over and over and / or fired.
If people would just see there is a problem and try to seek treatment wheather it is therapy, medication or both. Then again there is a stigma attached to mental health that somehow it diminishes a person's ability to be "normal" whatever that is. This is a huge issue for all
I was just reading online about a Yoga company that offers classes to corporations and other businesses. Its a great idea and many people could benefit.
I totally agree with the start of company culture and policies that recognize mental health as a top priority, mental health needs to be treated equally to physical health.
@deborah I agree with you! Everyone needs a break and falls on hardships in life. Taking care of yourself is more important, all you have is yourself.
I think businesses should always take their employees mental health into consideration. I have had jobs that have been very understanding about their employees mental health and it was very beneficial for some of my coworkers that were struggling.
@sydneyhurdleiectskin-com I agree. a lot of people don't treat their mental health like they do their physical health
@deborah I feel like many people do not seek out for help because they are embarrassed or do not feel comfortable talking to people about their problems