Nearly one in three millennials now suffer from mental health conditions, according to study

The rates of mental health conditions are on the rise among millennials, and the trend may be bringing down the overall health of the generation, a new study published Thursday finds. Researchers found that among millennials since 2019, there's been a 12% increase in major depression, a 7% increase in alcohol use disorder, and a 5% increase in both tobacco use disorder and substance use disorder. This means nearly one in three millennials are now suffering from behavioral health conditions in 2020, according to the study published by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association study.

The study defined millennials as people between the ages of 22 and 37 in 2018. It showed the continued impact the trend could have on millennials' physical health, researchers said. "This report, driven by fresh insights into trends in millennials’ behavioral health, dives deeper into the impact of these conditions on millennials," said the authors of the study. "Millennials with a behavioral health condition are at twice the risk of having a chronic physical condition."

The study also looked at COVID-19's impact on millennials' health. It found there was a 34% increase in alcohol consumption, a 20% increase in smoking, a 17% increase in vaping, and a 16% increase in non-medical drug use during the pandemic. All of these trends could have a negative impact on behavioral health conditions, researchers said.

"The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to further accelerate the rise of behavioral health conditions among millennials. Certain lifestyle behaviors have risen within this group since the outbreak began and these behaviors can lead to the development of behavioral health conditions or worsen existing ones," researchers wrote in the study.

Overall, 92% of millennials said that the coronavirus pandemic had a negative impact on their mental health.