Depression and anxiety are rampant among New York City's teenagers, with nearly half of them experiencing symptoms from one of both in recent years, according to a recent mental health report on the city's residents.
Last week, NYC health officials released a brand new, "first of its kind" report that digs into the mental health of the millions of people that make up the country's biggest city.
"The State of Mental Health of New Yorkers" details an overview of what mental health looks like for the city's population up to and following the COVID-19 pandemic.
“What we see in the data is that mental health is neither static nor homogenous. We see a deep crisis in some communities, while observing relative wellness in others," said Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan.
In a city of over 8 million people, nearly one in every five adults living in New York City has been diagnosed with anxiety, the report tabulated. Roughly one in every four adults experiences a mental health disorder -- that is in line with the national average, the report points out.
And while the majority of adults with a diagnosis was able to get treatment, roughly a third had their needs go unmet. Treatment access, the report points out, varies between communities, with Asian New Yorkers "accessing care the least."
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The report also digs into the pandemic, which worsened feelings of loneliness and grief. Before the pandemic, roughly 5% of New Yorkers said they experienced serious psychological distress. That figure jumped to around 14% two years ago, before dipping back down to 8% in 2023.
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"We also see an evolving post-COVID-19 picture of New Yorkers recovering from some of the worst impacts of the pandemic and longer-term effects still developing," Dr. Vasan added.
A startling part of the report found that a majority of New Yorkers don't have a person in their life to turn to for regular emotional support.
"Adults who personally witnessed or experienced violence in their neighborhood, or who encountered rodents on their street, lacked heat in the most recent winter or recently saw mold in their home were more likely to experience serious psychological distress than adults who had not," the health department said last week.
When it comes to the younger generations living in the Big Apple, Latino, Black and white kids (ages 3-13) were more likely than Asian kids to report "severe psychological distress."
In a recent survey conducted last year, 48% of teenagers reported feeling depressive symptoms ranging from mild to severe. The vast majority, however, reported feeling high levels of resilience. Frequent coping mechanisms include listening to music and using social media.
The report also looked into substance use. Apparently, New Yorkers still favor alcohol to cannabis. The percentage of residents using cannabis sat at round 23% last year, compared to 45% who reported drinking.
