“Bear”-ing the weight of mental health can be tough…
It is extremely important to be able to communicate about mental health.
The rate of serious mental illness is higher for 18-25 year olds than for any other age group over 18.
The onset of almost 50% of adult mental health disorders occur by age 14, and 75% by age 24.
Much of this is due to stigma surrounding the topic of mental health. It’s a difficult thing for anyone to talk about, especially young people.
We believe that if there were more resources available to relate to like “Bear,” these numbers would have the chance at becoming lower.
Especially within the past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many (especially young adults) have found themselves struggling to talk about how they are feeling. It can be hard to reach out when things feel lonely and isolating.
According to a CDC report, symptoms of anxiety and depressive disorders have increased significantly in the United States during the summer of 2020, compared with the same period in 2019.
During late June, 40% of U.S. young adults reported struggling with mental health or substance abuse.
The report states that community-level efforts, including mental health communication strategies, should work to prioritize young adults during this time.