J.Azmin Casillas, 23, describes her mental health struggles as “pretty dangerous.” She has been diagnosed with autism, borderline personality disorder, bipolar 2 comorbidities, depression, and anxiety. She also struggles with long-term memory formation. “There are cycles where things are going well, but the moment I hit a depressive slump, my life and everything I do is wasted,” she says.

She knows she needs a good therapist and medication. Cycles are frequent, so I’m not paralyzed by the many adult choices I have to make. ”

Casillas, who previously received mental health treatment through foster care, was left alone after turning 21. Now a freshman in college in Nebraska, she doesn’t have health insurance and can’t afford care. “Finding a good therapist is expensive. She’s probably around $500 to $600 a month where I live,” she says. To cope, she relies on her fiancée for emotional support. many, but most days I have a hard time even getting out of bed. ”

Casillas are part of a cohort of young people who report a higher incidence of mental illness than previous generations but are unable to receive the support they need.

Federal data show that between 2008 and 2019, the number of teenagers aged 12 to 17 who reported having at least one major depressive episode nearly doubled, compared with those aged 10 to 24 youth suicide rate increased by 47%.

A January survey by McKinsey found that Gen Z respondents were twice as likely as older adults to report feeling “emotional distress” from late 2019 to late 2020 and were more likely to commit suicide. We found that they were two to three times more likely to report that they were considering or trying. Mental health services and research found that Gen Z is the least likely age group to report seeking professional mental health treatment.

“It’s weird,” says Casillas.

Young people that is Insured people spend more. People under the age of 25 make up 36% of the U.S. population, yet 42% of all health insurance-related spending on mental health and substance abuse treatment in 2020 will be at age 25, according to new data from the Employee Benefit Research Institute. occupied by less than

Economist Paul Fronstein, author of the study, said more employers added mental health insurance to their benefits, but the costs didn’t always go down. “More employers are changing people’s health insurance plans from low deductible to high deductible. [the amount you have to pay before the insurance kicks in]And that will drive up the out-of-pocket costs for mental health,” he told The Guardian.

A recent national survey of Americans in treatment by Verywell Mind found that patients spend $178 a month in out-of-pocket expenses on treatment alone. But while Generation Z are more receptive to treatment than older generations, the survey found that 57% said they might have to stop treatment if costs increased, and 48% said they would have to ask for help from someone else. He said he could afford treatment because of his financial support.

Amy Morin, a licensed social worker and editor-in-chief of Verywell Mind, said the increased demand for treatment has limited the supply of therapists.

“A lot of therapists are burnt out,” she told The Guardian. Another problem is low wages. Many people have insurance. ”

This problem is felt more acutely in sparsely populated areas. “Insurers may have two therapists in their network within a 100 mile radius, so some may find the waiting list for those two therapists to be very long. Just one or two companies have created huge lists of employees who all have the same insurance and are fighting over the same two therapists,” Morin said. “Or they may prefer someone who specializes in a particular area, like obsessive-compulsive disorder, but the therapist in their closest network may be hundreds of miles away.”

A similar trend applies to psychiatrists. His 2014 survey in the Journal of American Medical Association Psychiatry found that nearly half of psychiatrists don’t accept insurance because of low reimbursement rates. Psychiatrists also have less incentive to take on patients with complex mental illnesses, according to a Bloomberg report.

For young people who don’t have the money to treat mental illness, the alternative is more or less DIY. “Many of his Gen Zers have fallen into nihilism and are coping by escaping to social media, which makes things even worse,” he says. “But while most students and those close to me seem to rely on a supportive network of friends, relatives and loved ones, they can keep track of their hearts and make mental health days when needed.” I am taking it.”

Casillas hopes one day to get a job with mental health benefits.

For now, though, there isn’t much to do. “I can’t say I’m really in control. I just want to be on track, hoping I can finish college and get a job before the next cycle of depression hits.”