Young adults have a reputation for being under stress. Apparently, they’re doing something about it — and employers don’t even notice. But the older generations are not far behind…
There are many young workers getting through the day on something more than caffeine.
A survey of 1,000 U.S. adults found that 35% of Gen Z respondents use substances like cannabis, alcohol or prescription medications before starting work.
According to the study, 56% use these substances after work to recover from stress related to employment.
Almost 1/3 do so during breaks, discreetly retreating to the car or the workplace bathrooms. Only 21% said they were always free of substances during business hours.
But a more detailed analysis of the data quickly complicates the narrative. In fact, the millennials have slightly surpassed Generation Z across several categories: 37% said they use substances before work, compared to 35% of Gen Z, and 62% of millennials use alcohol to manage stress, compared to 61% of Gen Z.
That is, the younger generation attracts attention of the headlines, but the middle-aged is practically in the same register, notes the magazine. Among the 4 generations included in the study, the alcohol was the most mentioned substancewith 57%, followed by cannabis, with 54%, and nicotine, with 48%.
Lower percentages said they resorted to medicines subject to medical prescription for anxiety or sleep (26%), stimulants like Adderall (9%), pain relievers or opioids (9%) and illicit drugss (7%).
The reasons aren’t exactly a mystery. 84% of respondents said that the Financial stress influences substance usemainly due to the increase in food and living expenses (61%), essential services such as water, electricity and gas (43%), and housing or rent (41%).
For a generation that came of age during a pandemicentered a particularly tough job market and never known a news cycle that wasn’t actively dark, these compensation mechanisms are, unfortunately, understandable.
“It’s not that Gen Z can’t handle stress, but they’re facing a version of life that feels like they’re always connected, and it’s hard to gain detachment,” he said. Andrew McKennadeputy director of the National Council of Alcoholism and Drug Dependence and author of the study, at .
“What we are seeing is a change in the way of dealing with pressure: It stopped being about actually managing stress and became just a way of coping and surviving.”
Part of the problem is that more functional alternatives are increasingly out of reach. 79% of respondents say these substances are more accessible, cheaper or more effective than therapy37% point to the cost of mental health care, and 25% report insufficient insurance coverage.
When a waiting list for a therapist lasts for three months and a vape pen takes three minutes, as math is not difficult to do. And the bill also weighs on the budget.
More than 1/3 of respondents spend $50 (42 euros) or more per week on substances, and 15% spend more than $100. In other words, in addition to self-medicating instead of accessing adequate care, they are to pay a significant amount to do so.
77% of Gen Z respondents said they would consider leaving the US completely due to stress and the cost of living. Whether this intention is realized or not, the number says a lot about how sustainable it seems to them today’s daily life in the country, especially for younger workers. Apparently, not much.
