In the United States, the issue of citizens’ mental well-being remains acute. According to a fresh poll by the analytical firm Gallup, in 2025, the share of Americans rating their condition as “excellent” dropped below 30% for the first time. The deterioration is most substantial among younger individuals and college graduates. Against this backdrop, the volume of consultations with specialists is rising. More details about the new survey, along with the origins of the problem, are in the “Izvestia” article.
Survey and Psychologists
At the close of 2025, the Gallup public opinion institute released a survey concerning the mental health status of Americans. Based on their findings, merely 29% of citizens assessed theirs as “excellent.” As an illustration, “pre-COVID era” statistics are provided: since 2001, this figure had remained virtually steady, holding at the 42% level.
A decline has been recorded across all demographic segments, though it is most noticeable among representatives of the younger generation and university alumni. Among millennials and Zoomers (Generation Z), the slump over the last six years amounted to 15 percentage points, averaging around 28% and 23%, respectively.
College and university graduates have also begun rating their mental health less favorably. The “excellent” rating in this bracket fell by 17 percentage points (from 53% to 36%). A drop was likewise documented for those without higher education, moving from 40% to 30%.
While the assessment of American mental health is worsening, their desire to rectify the situation is also increasing. The average number of specialist visits, per Gallup data, reached 3.2 compared to 1.1 in 2001 and 1.5 in 2004. Notably, among millennials and Zoomers, the statistics for seeing a psychologist are an order of magnitude higher than those for the “Silent Generation” (born 1928–1945), Boomers, and Generation X.
The reason for these figures is the increased visibility of the topic. The younger generation grew up in an era where acknowledging mental health challenges became more overt than in the past. Furthermore, the medical community, employers, and the government now emphasize the significance of mental and emotional welfare. All of this presumably encourages Americans to speak more openly about their condition.
Psychologist and family psychotherapist Elizaveta Levina remarked that the worsening of Americans’ mental health is not a sudden crisis but a process that has been shaping over recent decades. The Gallup survey data merely indicated something long felt within society.
Doctor of Sciences and psychologist Vsevolod Sazonov added that the drop in mental well-being indicators in the USA, noted in the research, strongly correlates with current practical observations. A generational difference is also visible. According to the expert, the main concerns of the older generation revolve around advancement, leadership, and seeking new anchors. For Zoomers and millennials, the picture differs significantly.
“Their concerns are mostly psychological: chronic anxiety, sleeplessness, a sense of uncertainty, high stress levels, and a lack of confidence in the future. Many speak of constant internal tension and an absence of stability even when external life appears normal,” the expert explains.
Spending Money
Senior Lecturer at GAUGN, Research Fellow at ISKRAN Evgeny Antonov explains that the decline in mental health for Zoomers and millennials in the US is determined by several factors stemming from more than just traditional generational variances. The first is economic instability.
“Zoomers and millennials inherited an economy marked by protracted wage stagnation, housing inflation, and, most importantly, record student loan debt. The average debt for a university student exceeds $35,000. Surveys show that about 60% of borrowers link managing this financial burden to their mental state—depression, anxiety, and even suicidal thoughts,” says Evgeny Antonov.
According to him, it was previously assumed that higher education guaranteed economic mobility and financial security. Today, the actual US job market, with its structural issues, often undermines that foundation. Higher education, once a protective factor, can sometimes become a risk due to diploma devaluation.
The expert names the unique social environment as the second reason. The psychological development of Zoomers and millennials occurred during the era of widespread social media use. Comparison, attempts at imitation, public display of one’s life, and the blurring of lines between work, socializing, and personal time negatively impact mental health, the expert explains.
The third factor, according to Evgeny Antonov, is “structural uncertainty.”
“Zoomers and millennials in the US reasonably perceive the traditional routes to the ‘American Dream’ as increasingly hard to attain. This is not anxiety resulting from personal setbacks, but a reaction to labor market volatility, financial burdens, and career ambiguity,” the expert believes.
Elizaveta Levina adds that millennials and Zoomers today experience the most pressure because they are the primary earning generations, while their parents, grandparents, and older relatives increasingly require social support. Consequently, young people simultaneously face the need to support themselves, assist their parents, and manage a growing tax load.
Events of recent years have also played a significant role in the issue of mental health, the expert notes. The pandemic, economic instability, rising costs of housing and education, and the threat to many professions due to artificial intelligence implementation create chronic stress and a sense of instability.
Not the Right Reels: How Short Videos Affect Mental State
Clinical psychologists caution Russians against prolonged scrolling that overloads the brain.
Lack of Support
According to a 2025 report by the non-profit organization Mental Health America (MHA), access to psychiatric care in the US continues to be out of reach for millions. In 2022–2023, 9.2% (over 5 million) of people with mental illnesses were uninsured.
The report indicates that the number of psychologists and psychiatrists in the US keeps increasing, yet it remains insufficient. In 2024, there were 320 people per specialist.
Vsevolod Sazonov also points to the high cost of psychological services in the US.
“Regular therapy is far from accessible to everyone, especially amid rising unemployment and financial strain. As a result, many postpone seeking specialized help or look for ‘quick fixes’—ranging from medication to digital tools,” explains the psychologist.
The expert draws special attention to the fact that people are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence (AI) as a substitute for psychological assistance. However, AI lacks sufficient empathy or specialized expertise in psychology, meaning it may not only fail to help but could also amplify internal risks.
“Ultimately, we observe not just a rise in anxious states, but a systemic crisis of access to support. Without the development of high-quality, professional, and ethically sound care, including consciously and correctly trained digital tools, this trend will only intensify in the coming years,” believes Vsevolod Sazonov.
Someone Will Help
Evgeny Antonov notes that US universities host mental health support centers that primarily focus on short-term therapy models. According to him, these are effective in reducing suicidal ideation, but due to underfunding and a shortage of personnel, they cannot provide comprehensive psychological assistance.
At the corporate level, among employers competing for Gen Z and millennial talent, mental well-being support has become a priority for recruitment and HR activities, the expert adds. Large and financially stable firms offer their staff six paid sessions annually, “mental reset” days (separate from sick leave), flexible schedules, training for managers in psychological literacy, and more.
“These are merely partial measures that treat symptoms, not the underlying condition. Without resolving issues like student debt, housing security, etc., the mental state problems of Zoomers and millennials will continue to worsen,” believes Evgeny Antonov.
Elizaveta Levina also explains that efforts are being made in the US to alter the situation.
“However, without revising social expectations, the pace of life, and the pressure of uncertainty, these measures will have limited impact. This is not a localized issue, but a symptom of prolonged global social tension,” she concludes.
About the Author
