Mental distress in young adults

In 2014, 12.3%12.3% percent of respondents who reported frequent mental distress (14 or more of the past 30 days with mental health not good)Estimanddesign-based weighted share of respondents, logit interval from Taylor linearizationInterval95% CI 11.6% to 13.0%n23,152 respondentsWeightsBRFSS final weight with stratum and primary sampling unit (design-based)Populationadults 18 to 24 in the 50 states and DCPeriod2014SourceBRFSS of adults 18 to 2418 to 24 years of ageEstimanddefinition used in this chapter, not an estimateWeightsnone (definition)Populationan age group of respondents defined in this chapterPeriod2014 to 2024SourceBRFSS told the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) that their mental health had not been good on 1414 days of poor mental health in the past 30Estimanddefinition used in this chapter, not an estimateWeightsnone (definition)Populationcutoff for frequent mental distressPeriod2014 to 2024SourceBRFSS or more of the past 3030 days in the recall period of the questionEstimanddefinition used in this chapter, not an estimateWeightsnone (definition)Populationthe BRFSS mental health questionPeriod2014 to 2024SourceBRFSS days. The CDC calls that frequent mental distress.[1] In 2022 the share among adults of the same ages was 25.3%25.3% percent of respondents who reported frequent mental distress (14 or more of the past 30 days with mental health not good)Estimanddesign-based weighted share of respondents, logit interval from Taylor linearizationInterval95% CI 24.4% to 26.2%n25,815 respondentsWeightsBRFSS final weight with stratum and primary sampling unit (design-based)Populationadults 18 to 24 in the 50 states and DCPeriod2022SourceBRFSS, and in 2024 it was 21.8%21.8% percent of respondents who reported frequent mental distress (14 or more of the past 30 days with mental health not good)Estimanddesign-based weighted share of respondents, logit interval from Taylor linearizationInterval95% CI 20.9% to 22.7%n28,711 respondentsWeightsBRFSS final weight with stratum and primary sampling unit (design-based)Populationadults 18 to 24 in the 50 states and DCPeriod2024SourceBRFSS. The survey draws new adults every year, so the young adults who answered in 2022 are a different set of people from those who answered in 2014.

How distress by age changed from 2014 to 2024

Figure 1 follows six age groups of adults through the survey years. In 2014 the rate for the youngest group differed from that for adults 50 to 6450 to 64 years of ageEstimanddefinition used in this chapter, not an estimateWeightsnone (definition)Populationan age group of respondents defined in this chapterPeriod2014 to 2024SourceBRFSS, the middle-aged group, by −0.2 (95% CI −1.0 to 0.5)−0.2 percentage pointsEstimanddesign-based difference in weighted shares between two groups of one survey, interval from Taylor linearization, adults 18 to 24 minus adults 50 to 64Interval95% CI −1.0 to 0.5n164,132 respondentsWeightsBRFSS final weight with stratum and primary sampling unit (design-based)Populationadults 18 to 24 and adults 50 to 64 in the 50 states and DCPeriod2014SourceBRFSS points, an interval that includes zero. In 2022 the difference was +11.6 (95% CI 10.6 to 12.6)+11.6 percentage pointsEstimanddesign-based difference in weighted shares between two groups of one survey, interval from Taylor linearization, adults 18 to 24 minus adults 50 to 64Interval95% CI 10.6 to 12.6n136,149 respondentsWeightsBRFSS final weight with stratum and primary sampling unit (design-based)Populationadults 18 to 24 and adults 50 to 64 in the 50 states and DCPeriod2022SourceBRFSS points. The interval for the difference first lies above zero in 2015, where it only just clears zero, and it stays above zero in every later year.

Every age group's rate was higher in 2024 than in 2014, and the rise was larger for the younger groups. The youngest group's rate peaked in 2022.

Figure 1

Frequent mental distress among adults 18 to 24 rose from 12.3% in 2014 to 25.3% in 2022, while the rate for adults 50 to 64 moved from 12.5% to 13.8%

Adults reporting 14 or more of the past 30 days with mental health not good, percent, by age group and survey year, 50 states and DC, 2014 to 2024

Adults with frequent mental distress (%)

Show data

Data for Frequent mental distress among adults 18 to 24 rose from 12.3% in 2014 to 25.3% in 2022, while the rate for adults 50 to 64 moved from 12.5% to 13.8%

age_group	conf_high	conf_low	n	rate	year
18 to 24	13.02	11.63	23,152	12.31	2014
25 to 34	13.14	12.02	41,901	12.57	2014
35 to 49	12.73	11.87	83,788	12.29	2014
50 to 64	12.89	12.19	140,980	12.53	2014
65 to 74	8.46	7.66	87,891	8.05	2014
75 and older	6.97	6.14	65,066	6.54	2014
18 to 24	13.94	12.50	23,237	13.20	2015
25 to 34	12.85	11.76	41,226	12.29	2015
35 to 49	12.83	12.01	78,275	12.41	2015
50 to 64	12.69	11.99	131,942	12.34	2015
65 to 74	8.29	7.53	85,003	7.90	2015
75 and older	7.16	6.28	62,287	6.71	2015
18 to 24	15.19	13.78	25,698	14.47	2016
25 to 34	13.36	12.34	46,871	12.84	2016
35 to 49	12.63	11.81	84,600	12.21	2016
50 to 64	12.91	12.18	141,807	12.54	2016
65 to 74	8.24	7.50	96,271	7.86	2016
75 and older	7.03	6.11	68,252	6.56	2016
18 to 24	17.36	15.73	25,372	16.53	2017
25 to 34	14.13	13.06	45,868	13.59	2017
35 to 49	13.43	12.50	79,509	12.96	2017
50 to 64	13.20	12.40	128,729	12.79	2017
65 to 74	8.99	8.11	88,940	8.54	2017
75 and older	7.44	6.35	62,621	6.88	2017
18 to 24	18.69	17.11	25,142	17.89	2018
25 to 34	15.75	14.59	45,106	15.16	2018
35 to 49	13.06	12.20	78,100	12.62	2018
50 to 64	13.19	12.39	120,693	12.78	2018
65 to 74	9.04	8.20	85,844	8.61	2018
75 and older	7.31	6.28	61,123	6.78	2018
18 to 24	21.36	19.62	24,005	20.47	2019
25 to 34	17.05	15.87	41,979	16.45	2019
35 to 49	14.12	13.20	71,943	13.65	2019
50 to 64	13.43	12.63	110,630	13.03	2019
65 to 74	9.57	8.67	83,604	9.11	2019
75 and older	7.15	6.32	62,675	6.72	2019
18 to 24	19.92	18.08	24,611	18.98	2020
25 to 34	17.37	16.05	42,467	16.70	2020
35 to 49	14.85	13.80	74,669	14.31	2020
50 to 64	13.29	12.29	104,594	12.78	2020
65 to 74	9.27	8.29	76,936	8.77	2020
75 and older	7.85	6.55	55,856	7.17	2020
18 to 24	23.54	21.71	25,110	22.61	2021
25 to 34	18.98	17.69	45,683	18.33	2021
35 to 49	15.88	14.82	83,630	15.34	2021
50 to 64	13.91	13.05	112,559	13.47	2021
65 to 74	9.48	8.46	85,976	8.96	2021
75 and older	8.55	7.39	61,800	7.95	2021
18 to 24	26.23	24.42	25,815	25.32	2022
25 to 34	20.91	19.60	45,803	20.25	2022
35 to 49	16.77	15.83	83,622	16.30	2022
50 to 64	14.19	13.33	110,334	13.75	2022
65 to 74	10.66	9.69	87,158	10.17	2022
75 and older	8.75	7.66	65,683	8.19	2022
18 to 24	24.19	22.32	25,296	23.24	2023
25 to 34	21.39	19.98	44,320	20.67	2023
35 to 49	17.38	16.27	79,779	16.82	2023
50 to 64	14.30	13.37	103,393	13.83	2023
65 to 74	9.99	8.98	86,587	9.47	2023
75 and older	8.17	7.24	70,449	7.69	2023
18 to 24	22.65	20.95	28,711	21.79	2024
25 to 34	21	19.62	48,280	20.30	2024
35 to 49	17.76	16.73	85,851	17.24	2024
50 to 64	14.89	13.94	106,111	14.41	2024
65 to 74	10.05	9.15	89,682	9.59	2024
75 and older	8.01	7.05	75,841	7.52	2024

Seen across five-year age bands, the change is one of shape. In 2014 to 2016 the rate in every band from the youngest through the late fifties lay between 11.7%11.7% percent of respondents who reported frequent mental distress (14 or more of the past 30 days with mental health not good)Estimandlowest of eight design-based band estimatesWeightsBRFSS final weight with stratum and primary sampling unit (design-based)Populationthe eight five-year age bands from 18 to 59Period2014 to 2016SourceBRFSS and 13.3%13.3% percent of respondents who reported frequent mental distress (14 or more of the past 30 days with mental health not good)Estimandhighest of eight design-based band estimatesWeightsBRFSS final weight with stratum and primary sampling unit (design-based)Populationthe eight five-year age bands from 18 to 59Period2014 to 2016SourceBRFSS, and it fell from the sixties to the oldest band. In 2022 to 2024 it falls with age from the youngest band to the oldest, with a flat stretch through the fifties.

How the survey measures distress

The BRFSS is an annual telephone survey run by the CDC with state health departments. The chapter uses its public files for 2014 to 2024, which hold 4,600,0004,626,736 respondentsEstimandcount of respondent rowsn4,626,736 respondentsWeightsnone (unweighted count)Populationrespondents in the 50 states and DC with a valid answer to the distress question and an age groupPeriod2014 to 2024SourceBRFSS respondents in the states and the District of Columbia with an answer to the distress question and an age group. Respondents count the days in the past month when their mental health, which includes stress, depression and problems with emotions, was not good.[2] The answer is a self-report about one month and not a diagnosis, so a rise in it can reflect more distress, more willingness to describe it, or both.

Every estimate uses the survey weightsSurvey weightsNumbers attached to survey respondents that say how many people in the population each one represents, so that results describe the whole population and not only the people who answered. together with the survey's strata and sampling units, and every interval is a 95% interval. Comparisons by period pool 2014 to 2016, 2017 to 2019 and 2022 to 2024, which leaves out the pandemic years 2020 and 2021. Because each year is a new sample, the data cannot separate age, survey year and birth cohort, and the chapter makes none of the extra assumptions that separating them would need. The report gives every estimate with its interval and sample size.

In the lowest income bracket the age pattern reverses

The difference between young and middle-aged adults depends on household income. Figure 2 crosses age group with five brackets of household income in 2022 to 2024. In the top bracket, the youngest adults exceeded middle-aged adults by +13.0 (95% CI 11.9 to 14.2)+13.0 percentage pointsEstimanddesign-based difference in weighted shares between two groups of one survey, interval from Taylor linearization, adults 18 to 24 minus adults 50 to 64Interval95% CI 11.9 to 14.2n155,745 respondentsWeightsBRFSS final weight with stratum and primary sampling unit (design-based)Populationadults 18 to 24 and 50 to 64 in the top household income bracketPeriod2022 to 2024SourceBRFSS points, and they were also higher in the three brackets between the top and the lowest. In the lowest bracket the sign reversed, at −6.0 (95% CI −8.1 to −3.8)−6.0 percentage pointsEstimanddesign-based difference in weighted shares between two groups of one survey, interval from Taylor linearization, adults 18 to 24 minus adults 50 to 64Interval95% CI −8.1 to −3.8n34,104 respondentsWeightsBRFSS final weight with stratum and primary sampling unit (design-based)Populationadults 18 to 24 and 50 to 64 in the lowest household income bracketPeriod2022 to 2024SourceBRFSS points, so the youngest adults reported less frequent distress than middle-aged adults in households of the same bracket.

The higher rate among the youngest adults therefore holds in the four upper brackets and not in the lowest. Among middle-aged adults the lowest bracket was 23.7 (95% CI 22.5 to 24.9)23.7 percentage pointsEstimanddesign-based difference in weighted shares between two groups of one survey, interval from Taylor linearization, lowest bracket minus top bracketInterval95% CI 22.5 to 24.9n165,514 respondentsWeightsBRFSS final weight with stratum and primary sampling unit (design-based)Populationadults 50 to 64 in the lowest and top household income bracketsPeriod2022 to 2024SourceBRFSS points above the top bracket, and among the youngest adults the difference was 4.7 (95% CI 2.6 to 6.8)4.7 percentage pointsEstimanddesign-based difference in weighted shares between two groups of one survey, interval from Taylor linearization, lowest bracket minus top bracketInterval95% CI 2.6 to 6.8n24,335 respondentsWeightsBRFSS final weight with stratum and primary sampling unit (design-based)Populationadults 18 to 24 in the lowest and top household income bracketsPeriod2022 to 2024SourceBRFSS points, so household income separates middle-aged adults more than the youngest adults.

Figure 2

Frequent distress among adults 18 to 24 was 25.7% in the lowest household income bracket and 21.1% in the top, against 31.7% and 8.0% among adults 50 to 64

Adults reporting 14 or more of the past 30 days with mental health not good, percent, by age group and annual household income, 2022 to 2024, 50 states and DC

0.035.0

Heat map with six age groups as rows and five household income brackets as columns, each cell showing the share of adults with frequent mental distress. In the row for adults 18 to 24 the values vary less across brackets than in the rows for adults 35 to 49 and 50 to 64, where they fall steeply from the lowest to the top bracket. The rows for older adults are lower throughout.

Age6	Under $20,000	$20,000 to $34,999	$35,000 to $49,999	$50,000 to $74,999	$75,000 or more
18 to 24	25.7, interval 24.0 to 27.6, n = 6,442	28.4, interval 27.0 to 29.8, n = 12,185	24.4, interval 22.9 to 25.9, n = 9,476	21.9, interval 20.5 to 23.4, n = 9,518	21.1, interval 20.0 to 22.2, n = 17,893
25 to 34	27.1, interval 25.4 to 28.7, n = 9,188	25.1, interval 24.0 to 26.3, n = 18,236	24.6, interval 23.4 to 25.9, n = 16,326	22.4, interval 21.3 to 23.5, n = 21,228	15.6, interval 15.0 to 16.2, n = 51,332
35 to 49	32.9, interval 31.4 to 34.5, n = 16,152	22.6, interval 21.7 to 23.6, n = 26,204	20.8, interval 19.8 to 21.9, n = 21,544	18.5, interval 17.6 to 19.4, n = 29,848	11.9, interval 11.6 to 12.3, n = 121,548
50 to 64	31.7, interval 30.5 to 32.9, n = 27,662	22.1, interval 21.1 to 23.0, n = 36,505	15.8, interval 14.9 to 16.7, n = 27,226	13.3, interval 12.5 to 14.1, n = 39,413	8.0, interval 7.7 to 8.3, n = 137,852
65 to 74	18.3, interval 17.0 to 19.7, n = 19,938	13.4, interval 12.7 to 14.2, n = 39,906	10.9, interval 10.1 to 11.8, n = 32,992	7.9, interval 7.3 to 8.5, n = 41,346	5.4, interval 5.0 to 5.8, n = 76,414
75 and older	13.5, interval 12.2 to 15.0, n = 13,098	10.0, interval 9.2 to 10.8, n = 37,533	7.1, interval 6.5 to 7.8, n = 29,842	6.7, interval 6.1 to 7.3, n = 30,253	5.4, interval 4.9 to 5.9, n = 44,963

Show data

Data for Frequent distress among adults 18 to 24 was 25.7% in the lowest household income bracket and 21.1% in the top, against 31.7% and 8.0% among adults 50 to 64

age6	conf_high	conf_low	inc5	n	rate
18 to 24	29.81	27	$20,000 to $34,999	12,185	28.38
18 to 24	25.88	22.88	$35,000 to $49,999	9,476	24.35
18 to 24	23.37	20.46	$50,000 to $74,999	9,518	21.88
18 to 24	22.17	19.99	$75,000 or more	17,893	21.06
18 to 24	27.58	23.98	Under $20,000	6,442	25.74
25 to 34	26.30	24.02	$20,000 to $34,999	18,236	25.14
25 to 34	25.85	23.44	$35,000 to $49,999	16,326	24.62
25 to 34	23.53	21.29	$50,000 to $74,999	21,228	22.39
25 to 34	16.19	15.01	$75,000 or more	51,332	15.59
25 to 34	28.73	25.44	Under $20,000	9,188	27.05
35 to 49	23.57	21.66	$20,000 to $34,999	26,204	22.60
35 to 49	21.89	19.80	$35,000 to $49,999	21,544	20.83
35 to 49	19.39	17.64	$50,000 to $74,999	29,848	18.50
35 to 49	12.30	11.56	$75,000 or more	121,548	11.92
35 to 49	34.52	31.35	Under $20,000	16,152	32.91
50 to 64	23.03	21.14	$20,000 to $34,999	36,505	22.07
50 to 64	16.73	14.87	$35,000 to $49,999	27,226	15.78
50 to 64	14.06	12.52	$50,000 to $74,999	39,413	13.27
50 to 64	8.32	7.71	$75,000 or more	137,852	8.01
50 to 64	32.89	30.54	Under $20,000	27,662	31.71
65 to 74	14.15	12.66	$20,000 to $34,999	39,906	13.39
65 to 74	11.76	10.13	$35,000 to $49,999	32,992	10.92
65 to 74	8.49	7.33	$50,000 to $74,999	41,346	7.89
65 to 74	5.79	4.97	$75,000 or more	76,414	5.36
65 to 74	19.73	17.02	Under $20,000	19,938	18.33
75 and older	10.84	9.24	$20,000 to $34,999	37,533	10.01
75 and older	7.80	6.50	$35,000 to $49,999	29,842	7.12
75 and older	7.32	6.12	$50,000 to $74,999	30,253	6.69
75 and older	5.92	4.88	$75,000 or more	44,963	5.37
75 and older	15	12.16	Under $20,000	13,098	13.52

Two things limit what the brackets can say. Household income counts everyone in the household, so for a young adult living with parents it describes the parents' means more than the respondent's own. The brackets are also in current dollars, so rising prices move households across them over the period.

Distress beside a second question on depression

A rise in a self-reported item may partly reflect how people answer. A second BRFSS item asks whether a doctor, nurse or other health professional has ever told the respondent of a depressive disorder. Among the youngest adults the share with such a diagnosis rose by 10.1 (95% CI 9.4 to 10.7)10.1 percentage pointsEstimanddesign-based difference between two survey periods, estimated from independent samples (separate survey years), interval from Taylor linearization, late period minus early periodInterval95% CI 9.4 to 10.7n152,958 respondentsWeightsBRFSS final weight with stratum and primary sampling unit (design-based)Populationadults 18 to 24 in the 50 states and DCPeriod2022 to 2024 compared with 2014 to 2016SourceBRFSS points between 2014 to 2016 and 2022 to 2024. Over the same periods frequent distress in that group rose by 10.110.1 percentage pointsEstimanddesign-based difference between two survey periods, estimated from independent samples (separate survey years), interval from Taylor linearization, late period minus early periodInterval95% CI 9.4 to 10.8n151,909 respondentsWeightsBRFSS final weight with stratum and primary sampling unit (design-based)Populationadults 18 to 24 in the 50 states and DCPeriod2022 to 2024 compared with 2014 to 2016SourceBRFSS points, close to the rise in diagnoses.

The shape of the diagnosis share across age changed as well. In 2014 to 2016 it rose with age from the youngest band to the late fifties, as an accumulating count of lifetime diagnoses would. In 2022 to 2024 the youngest adults had a diagnosis share among the highest of any age band.

Figure 3

In 2022 to 2024 the share of adults 18 to 24 ever told of depression was 25.6%, close to the 23.4% with frequent distress now

Adults with frequent mental distress and adults ever told by a health professional of a depressive disorder, percent, by five-year age band, 50 states and DC

2022 to 20242014 to 2016

Show data

Data for In 2022 to 2024 the share of adults 18 to 24 ever told of depression was 25.6%, close to the 23.4% with frequent distress now, 2022 to 2024

age_band	age_lower	conf_high	conf_low	measure	n	period_label	rate
18 to 24	18	23.95	22.91	Frequent mental distress now	79,822	2022 to 2024	23.43
18 to 24	18	26.13	25.07	Ever told of a depressive disorder	80,455	2022 to 2024	25.60
25 to 29	25	21.84	20.66	Frequent mental distress now	64,452	2022 to 2024	21.24
25 to 29	25	25.95	24.73	Ever told of a depressive disorder	65,019	2022 to 2024	25.34
30 to 34	30	20.25	19.18	Frequent mental distress now	73,951	2022 to 2024	19.71
30 to 34	30	25.48	24.36	Ever told of a depressive disorder	74,693	2022 to 2024	24.92
35 to 39	35	18.24	17.23	Frequent mental distress now	81,594	2022 to 2024	17.73
35 to 39	35	23.36	22.28	Ever told of a depressive disorder	82,379	2022 to 2024	22.81
40 to 44	40	16.99	16.02	Frequent mental distress now	86,224	2022 to 2024	16.50
40 to 44	40	21.83	20.81	Ever told of a depressive disorder	87,077	2022 to 2024	21.32
45 to 49	45	16.64	15.50	Frequent mental distress now	81,434	2022 to 2024	16.06
45 to 49	45	21.70	20.52	Ever told of a depressive disorder	82,305	2022 to 2024	21.11
50 to 54	50	15.19	14.23	Frequent mental distress now	92,862	2022 to 2024	14.71
50 to 54	50	20.82	19.77	Ever told of a depressive disorder	93,866	2022 to 2024	20.29
55 to 59	55	15.20	14.23	Frequent mental distress now	101,915	2022 to 2024	14.71
55 to 59	55	21.23	20.18	Ever told of a depressive disorder	103,090	2022 to 2024	20.70
60 to 64	60	13.16	12.35	Frequent mental distress now	125,061	2022 to 2024	12.75
60 to 64	60	20.15	19.22	Ever told of a depressive disorder	126,705	2022 to 2024	19.68
65 to 69	65	10.44	9.68	Frequent mental distress now	136,072	2022 to 2024	10.05
65 to 69	65	18.27	17.35	Ever told of a depressive disorder	137,909	2022 to 2024	17.80
70 to 74	70	9.82	9.01	Frequent mental distress now	127,355	2022 to 2024	9.41
70 to 74	70	17.11	16.14	Ever told of a depressive disorder	129,175	2022 to 2024	16.62
75 to 79	75	9.04	8.22	Frequent mental distress now	100,143	2022 to 2024	8.62
75 to 79	75	14.81	13.86	Ever told of a depressive disorder	101,808	2022 to 2024	14.33
80 and older	80	7.47	6.66	Frequent mental distress now	111,830	2022 to 2024	7.05
80 and older	80	10.50	9.59	Ever told of a depressive disorder	114,825	2022 to 2024	10.04

A diagnosis depends on contact with care, which differs by age, insurance and period, so the second item is not a cleaner gauge of illness. It does show that the change is not confined to one survey question, because a different item with a different time frame moves in the same direction for the same adults.

Women reported frequent distress more often than men in every age group in both periods, and the difference between them rose most among the youngest adults. The survey's sex item changed over these years, so a change in that difference compares groups defined slightly differently. The data do not show whether the difference reflects different experience, different willingness to report, or both.

These are patterns in who reports distress among adults interviewed in different years. The BRFSS has no before and after for any respondent and no comparison group that changed for a known reason, so it cannot say why the rate rose among the young. One study the report describes has such a design, for a different group. Braghieri, Levy and Makarin compared US colleges that received Facebook at different times between 2004 and 2006 and found that the introduction of Facebook at a college worsened student mental health.[3] That result covers college students in the first years of one platform, and it does not test the BRFSS rise.

What a yearly telephone survey cannot show

Frequent mental distress is self-reported, and willingness to describe it may have changed more among the young than among the old. The survey reaches adults who live in households and answer a telephone call, so it misses people in hospitals, prisons and other institutions and people without a stable phone. Its intervals do not account for any bias from nonresponse or measurement. Each respondent's state is known and no smaller area is, so nothing here describes a neighborhood or a county. Rates for census tracts, from modeled estimates, are in Chapter 7.1, Health behaviors and the supply of care. The data also cannot say whether the fall in the youngest group's rate from 2022 to 2024 will continue.

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Go deeper

• The report: every estimate with its interval and sample size.
• Tables: every figure of the report as a table.

Same question at another grain:

• Age and well-being
  • Chapter 6.4, Well-being across the life span Individuals

Data sources

• BRFSSBRFSS public-use microdata, 2014-2024: days of poor mental health (core item, all years), ever told of a depressive disorder (core item, all years), age, sex, household income, education and metro status; adults in the 50 states and DCYears: 2014-2024 · Weights: design-based: final weight, stratum and primary sampling unit · License: Public domain (CDC)

All data sources

References

1. Zahran, H. S.; Kobau, R.; Moriarty, D. G.; Zack, M. M.; Giles, W. H.; Lando, J. (2004). Self-reported frequent mental distress among adults, United States, 1993-2001. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 53(41): 963-966. www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5341a1.htm
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Disability and Health Data System (2025). Data Guides: Mental and Emotional Health. CDC Disability and Health Data System web page, last reviewed April 3, 2025. www.cdc.gov/dhds/data-guides/mental-and-emotional-health.html
3. Braghieri, Luca; Levy, Ro'ee; Makarin, Alexey (2022). Social media and mental health. American Economic Review 112(11): 3660-3693. doi:10.1257/aer.20211218

How to cite

@misc{singh2026mentaldistressinyoungadults,
  author = {Singh, Vishal},
  title = {Mental distress in young adults},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://vishalsingh.org/zipcode/mental-distress-in-young-adults},
  note = {In ZIP Code Destiny. Published 9 October 2026.}
}