Coronavirus pandemic had a significantly greater impact on the mental health of young people than the global financial crisis of 2008 to 2010, a new study by the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin) has found.
According to the study, the younger generation, up to the age of 49, has been more severely affected by confinement, homeschooling, and lockdowns during the pandemic years. The result is that, for the first time in 2022, people under the age of 50 showed a lower level of mental health compared to older people.
In contrast, the financial crisis of the past affected all age groups, with a uniform recovery trend across generations. In contrast, the pandemic has particularly affected younger people, with the younger the person, the stronger the negative impact, the authors found in the study.
Those 50 years old and over, on the other hand, had already almost reached the pre-pandemic mental health level by 2022. The authors attribute the difference in development to ongoing thoughts that mainly affected the younger generation.
“The crises, such as the coronavirus pandemic or the war in Ukraine, and the economic consequences and uncertainties that come with them can lead to people in the workforce being exposed to a multitude of worries,” said DIW health economist Daniel Graeber to the Funke Media Group.
Graeber emphasizes that the topic of mental health should be taken seriously – it also concerns the work environment. In light of an increasing shortage of skilled workers, it will in the future be a matter of preserving employees’ ability to work as long as possible, said Graeber. Prevention and therapy of mental illnesses should therefore gain importance in the work context.
For those affected, there should be low-threshold offers in crisis situations that provide support without involving the often lengthy process of getting to a therapy place. “It’s also important to de-stigmatize mental illnesses and not assume that those affected don’t want to work,” the DIW researcher said.
Mental illnesses are on the rise in Germany, with the number of absences due to mental illness increasing by 52% from 2013 to 2023 to 323 days per 100 employees, according to a report by the Health Insurance Fund.