Mental Health Support For A Young Adult: Therapy For Anxiety & Other Concerns
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The transition from adolescence to adulthood is typically a time of significant change. It can involve leaving school, leaving home, entering the workforce, exploring new relationships, and more. This stage of transition can be both rewarding and challenging. Here, we’ll explore some of the common highs and lows young adults may experience during this period of life and how to receive mental health support at this age.
Common life challenges young adults may face
A person who is entering young adulthood may face a variety of challenges, each of which could affect their mental health in various ways. Examples of just a few of these challenges are outlined below.
Relationship challenges and loneliness
In young adulthood, some people may be leaving home for the first time, moving to a new city, and/or leaving the friends they've had at school for the past decade or more. They might get a roommate they don't know and start a job with new co-workers. While supportive new relationships can come out of these transitions, forming them often takes time. As a result, a young adult may experience a sense of loneliness, which can contribute to mental health challenges in some cases.
Academic/career pressure
The end of adolescence and the start of young adulthood often come with a significant change in how an individual spends their days. After high school, a person may enter the workforce and/or start college, and the resulting pressures can be significant.
For example, entering the workforce can come with stressors like a difficult job search, being responsible for one's own finances for the first time, long work hours, and pressure to succeed professionally. Starting college or another form of higher education can come with the pressure to choose a field of study, excel academically, and pay tuition.
New responsibilities
The start of young adulthood often marks the first time that many individuals are completely responsible for their own lives and well-being. For example, a person may move away from home for the first time, meaning that they're now responsible for paying their own bills, getting their own groceries, making their own appointments, etc. Taking on so many new tasks all at once can feel overwhelming.
Common mental health challenges in young adults: stress, anxiety, and others
Any transition has the potential to impact a person’s mental health and emotional well-being, including the transition to adulthood. A person could experience any number of mental health challenges during this time; below are just a few examples.
High stress levels
Experiencing so many different changes to one's day-to-day life could leave a person feeling unbalanced. Specifically, the addition of new pressures and responsibilities, coupled with changes to a person's available support system or healthy routines, could lead to high stress levels. A young person could also be experiencing poverty, discrimination, housing instability, harmful relationship dynamics, or other situations that could add to the stress they feel.
Anxiety and depression in young adults
According to a 2023 report, young adults in the US experience twice the rates of depression and anxiety as teenagers in the US. Some contributing factors that the report suggests include:
- A lack of a sense of purpose.
- Social disconnectedness.
- Concern about world political issues, climate change, etc.
- Financial pressure and “achievement pressure.”
Experts believe that mental health conditions like depression and anxiety may develop due to a variety of factors, including genetics as well as external stressors, trauma, and other environmental factors. As a result, many young adults today are living with anxiety and/or depression and the negative thoughts and other symptoms that often come with them.
Low self-esteem
Young people may also be at risk for low self-esteem and related challenges. Comparing how they feel, what their plans are, and what they've accomplished to what they see of their peers— especially on social media—could make a person feel like they're not enough. This sense could impact their mood, the way they interact with others, and other aspects of life, and it could also contribute to the development of a mental condition if left unaddressed.
The onset of a mental health condition that requires young adult therapy or other treatment
Besides depression and anxiety, many mental health disorders first appear in an individual in their late teens or early twenties. Bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are two examples of illnesses with an average age of onset in the early twenties. A young person who is trying to manage their life transitions and new stressors and is also experiencing signs of a mental illness may find their stress levels to be even higher, particularly if they don't have adequate support.
Self-care tips for young people
Young adulthood is also when many individuals start learning about which self-care techniques work best for them. Self-care refers to the regular practices a person engages in to keep themselves mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially well. The most effective self-care is typically personalized to the individual, so it may take some trial and error to figure out what works best for you.
Some examples of self-care tips that young adults might benefit from exploring include:
- Exercising regularly in a way that you find enjoyable
- Incorporating nutrient-rich foods into your eating patterns as often as possible
- Aiming to get seven to nine hours of quality sleep each night
- Taking time for yourself to relax and recharge before you feel overwhelmed
- Spending regular time with friends and family
- Spending regular time in nature
- Setting boundaries with yourself around social media or screen time in general
- Practicing some form of mindfulness often
- Volunteering, creating art, or frequently engaging in another activity that gives you a sense of purpose
- Saying no to commitments you don't have the capacity for
- Practicing asking for what you need in relationships and learning to recognize negative patterns that could be harmful
- Seeking professional mental health support from a therapist or counselor as needed
Differing support needs among young adults
Keep in mind that even if two young adults are experiencing a similar change—such as leaving home for the first time to attend university, each one may have unique challenges, life experiences, family structures, mental health needs, etc. These can affect how they experience this process and the level of support they may need.
Remember that there’s no shame in needing more or different support than a peer, and that help is available regardless of what you may be going through.
Young adult therapy options
In many cases, a young adult who is interested in seeking therapy for support as they navigate this transitional period of life can explore both in-person and online options. While some people may find it easier to bond with a therapist face-to-face, others may feel more comfortable meeting with the provider virtually. Virtual therapy can also be helpful for individuals who may not have many mental health professionals near them or whose busy schedule may make it difficult to commute to and from in-person therapy sessions.
Exploring the option of online therapy
With an online therapy platform like BetterHelp, a person can get matched and then meet with a licensed therapist virtually, from anywhere they have an internet connection. BetterHelp also allows you to switch therapists at any time for no additional cost, which can make it easier for you to find the right fit. Plus, research suggests that online therapy can often be as effective as in-person care.
Takeaway
What is the best type of therapy for young adults?
The best type of therapy for young adults can depend on the specific challenges they may be facing in their personal lives. In general, however, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most common approaches. It can help a client learn how to recognize and reframe negative thought patterns, particularly those thinking patterns that may be contributing to difficult feelings and mental health challenges. In some cases, family therapy may also be helpful, such as if there are difficult interpersonal dynamics at play that are affecting an individual's mental health.
Do I need counseling or therapy?
In general, virtually anyone has the potential to benefit from mental health counseling or therapy. You don't need to have symptoms of a mental illness in order to see a mental health professional—though they can, of course, address such symptoms. They can also provide support related to low self-esteem, major life transitions, grief, relationship conflict, trauma, and many other challenges.
What is the best type of therapy for young adults?
There are a variety of modalities that may be helpful, depending on each person’s specific mental health challenges. Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most common approaches, and it focuses on adjusting unhelpful thought patterns to be more constructive. This can have a positive effect on a person’s emotions and behavior.
What is the biggest psychological issue for young adults?
Anxiety and depression appear to be growing in prevalence among young adults. Many young adults are struggling to find their place in the world and take on new responsibilities like full-time employment.
How do you get a therapist at a young age?
Getting a therapist at a young age may begin with talking to one’s parents, pediatrician, or school counselor. School counselors can often help with a variety of difficulties, like peer pressure and academic challenges, and they may also be able to provide referrals to therapists and other mental health professionals.
How much does teen therapy typically cost?
In general, a therapy session costs $100 to $200 without insurance. However, looking for a therapist who offers sliding-scale fees or trying online therapy may be less expensive.
BetterHelp currently accepts HSA/FSA cards and is recognized as an eligible expense by most HSA/FSA providers. Get started today.
Do I need counseling or therapy?
Counseling is typically for short-term concerns, whereas therapy tends to be a longer-term process. If you’re looking to learn how to manage a straightforward issue, counseling may be ideal. However, if you want to address long-standing patterns and difficulties that began in childhood, therapy may be a better choice.
What is the first-line treatment for depression in young adults?
In most cases, the first-line treatment for depression is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Sometimes, CBT is used in conjunction with prescription medication.
How many young adults go to therapy?
According to one analysis, around 26% of young adults aged 18 to 26 received counseling and/or medication for mental health concerns in 2022. This means that around one in four young adults has either attended therapy or been prescribed medication for mental health challenges.
What is the best depression scale for young adults?
Clinicians can use multiple assessments and scales to determine whether a young adult is living with depression. A few examples include the Beck Depression Inventory, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and the Patient Health Questionnaire.
How do you find a therapist for the first time?
You might ask friends and family for recommendations, request a referral from your primary care provider, or conduct an internet search for therapists in your local area. You could also consider online therapy, which can connect you with a broader range of professionals. This may be helpful if you’re seeking a therapist who has experience helping clients with a particular concern, such as substance use disorder (formerly called substance abuse), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Why is Gen Z more prone to anxiety?
The influence of technology and concerns about financial security are two factors that may contribute to high levels of anxiety among Generation Z. The pandemic and associated isolation likely also had a significant impact on the overall emotional well-being of Gen Z.
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