Overview
- Pew Research Center, using a national survey of 5,111 adults, reports large age gaps in self-rated mental health, stress management, and social relationships.
- About 36% of adults under 30 rate their mental health as fair or poor, which is 20 points higher than ages 50–64 and 27 points higher than those 65 and older.
- Only 18% of under‑30s say they manage stress very well compared with 58% of adults 65 and older, and 47% of younger adults call stress a major health challenge versus 17% of the oldest group.
- Younger adults report weaker social ties and lower use of routine care, with 40% saying they do well at relationships and 27% saying they get an annual checkup, compared with 72% and 83% for those 65 and older.
- Despite worse outcomes, effort looks similar across ages, with 35% of under‑30s saying they put a lot of effort into their mental health, and related survey findings show younger adults more often turn to social media or AI chatbots for health information even as few view those sources as highly accurate.