Why Anxiety and Depression Are on the Rise in Generation Z and What Can Help
- Feb 25
- 7 min read
Updated: Feb 26
Honor Tremain is an award-winning longevity nutritionist, author, and journalist whose journey into nutrition began with a personal health crisis. Determined to reclaim her life, she completed qualifications in nutrition, eventually healing herself and going on to complete a Bachelor of Science degree.
Today, anxiety and depression account for roughly 9% of all diseases worldwide and 60% of mental health disorders. Of those, 72 million children and adolescents are estimated to be affected, particularly those in Generation Z, who report higher rates of anxiety and depression than any of the three generations before them.
So, what’s driving this sharp rise in psychological distress?
Behind the surge
Comparison, jealousy, and fear dissolve the best parts of our humanity. Unknown author
The etiology of anxiety can be a complex interplay between genetic predisposition, environment, dietary factors, trauma, disadvantage, and influences such as social media, all impacting mental health in multifaceted ways for younger people, changing how they interact with one another and how they perceive themselves.
New technology
The prevalence of smartphones now allows the whole of humanity uninterrupted access to information that disengages focus and commonly revolves around triggering comparison or exposure to fearful or enviable online material. Disturbingly, it was found that it only takes roughly two hours of screen time a day to create this negative mental impact.
Ultra-Processed foods and inactivity can greatly accelerate brain disorders due to high-calorie, nutrient-void, and additive-filled products being ingested, and idle glucose accumulating in the bloodstream from inactivity. This deadly combo can lead to neurotoxicity, anxiety, depression, and even brain degeneration. Read more on this here.
Trauma
When faced in childhood, trauma can deeply alter a child’s view of the world and themselves. This can be due to abuse, neglect, or failure to meet the needs of this small, developing human.
Our narratives
Spiritual teachers such as Eckhart Tolle suggest that our self-talk and the stories we often ruminate on can influence how we think and feel, sometimes more so than events themselves.
What actually helps?
Wholefoods
Especially those high in prebiotic fiber, such as vegetables, fruit, and wholegrains feed your good gut bacteria and help lift mood, while high Omega-3 foods like sardines, salmon, certain microalgae & chia/flax seeds also significantly help.
Physical activity
A recent study found that adolescents who engaged in more physical activities had better mental health than those who didn’t.
Exercise releases positive endorphins and helps clear out suboptimal cells, particularly when you ‘push to your edge’. Dr. Marc Cohen explains. “Only by meeting your ‘edge’ paradoxically, can you truly find your deepest relaxation and stillness, boosting resilience and wellness,” says Cohen, a medical doctor, professor, engineer, and health pioneer.
Socializing is vital
This study highlights the reason anxiety and depression may exist surrounding isolation, it’s an evolutionary construct within the brain to encourage humans to be with other humans, a type of survival mechanism to grow and support the race, and another reason why group sporting activities can be so beneficial.
Self-talk
If negative self-talk is part of the problem, become aware of these thoughts without judgement, so they lose the power of contributing to sadness or stress.
Which brings us to a new and profound, yet less obvious treatment emerging in psychology that doesn’t require medication, a clinical office, or even revisiting past traumas. What is it?
Awe: A powerful mental reset
“Awe is an emotion often considered ineffable and beyond measurement,” explains Dr. Dacher Keltner from the Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley. “Yet through awe lays an accessible pathway to profound mental and physical health for many”. This can be witnessed as a shift in neurophysiology, a diminished focus on self, positive increases in cooperation and empathy towards others, greater social integration, and a heightened sense of meaning, all of which benefit well-being. Awe can be experienced in nature, in spiritual contemplation, in moving music, in witnessing moral courage, or through experiencing deep gratitude.
“Awe can act as a mental reset button to reduce anxiety and stress,” Keltner explains.
This research identifies five of the primary pathways through which awe enhances mental and physical health:
Neurophysiological shift: A Reduction in stress hormones, improving immune function and self-regulation.
Diminished self-focus: A reduced tendency toward rumination and self-criticism.
Increased prosocial behaviour: Greater generosity, cooperation, and openness with others.
Stronger social integration: A heightened sense of belonging and shared humanity.
Enhanced meaning and purpose: A deeper sense that life is significant and we are interconnected with something bigger than ourselves.
Nature-based therapy: Awe in action
In the hinterlands of Northern New South Wales, Australia, psychologist Andy Hamilton founded Human Nature, a trauma-informed, nature-based mental health service supporting young people aged 14-18.
The organisation works primarily with adolescents navigating the impacts of trauma, family stress, housing instability, climate-related disasters, school disengagement, anxiety, and depression, often in the context of systemic disadvantage. Many of the young people Human Nature supports have struggled to access, tolerate, or benefit from conventional, time-limited, clinic-based therapy. What they need is not simply an appointment, but relationships, flexibility, and an environment where they feel safe to engage.
“Many of the young people we work with have experienced significant hardship in their lives,” says Hamilton, “Their nervous systems are often shaped by chronic stress. Sitting in a small clinical room for 50 minutes can feel overwhelming. We’ve found that when you shift the environment, an internal shift becomes possible.”
Human Nature integrates outdoor experiences, mentoring, physical movement, and small group connection into a continuum of care. Young people hike through forests, sit by rivers, paddle, climb, create, reflect, and talk, sometimes walking side by side rather than face to face.
Delivering therapy within the framework of nature removes many of the practical and psychological barriers associated with clinic-based care, and for these young people, the natural environment provides a gentle pathway into safety and connection.
“When a person stands at the top of a mountain, or sits under a vast sky, perspective shifts. Their problems don’t disappear, but it’s no longer the only thing in their frame. For adolescents who have internalised narratives of failure, shame, or not belonging, these experiences can help create moments of confidence and connection."
Human Nature’s work includes evidence-based approaches delivered within a trauma-responsive, relational framework, where the natural environment becomes a partner in this supporting regulation, mastery, identity development, and hope.
“Change doesn’t happen because we push harder. It usually happens because safety, trust, and meaningful experiences accumulate over time, where the outdoors becomes not a replacement for therapy, but a powerful ally in it.”
What if you can’t escape into the wilderness?
Awe is not limited to geography. It can arise through contemplation, art, science, or even a shift in perspective. Consider this: every atom in your body originated within the heart of a star, literally.
Late astrophysicist Karel Schrijver and physician Iris Schrijver, Adjunct Clinical Professor of Pathology at Stanford University School of Medicine, and authors of Living with the Stars, explain that:
“Everything we are made of, every carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen atom, along with those from everything we eat and drink, originated from the clouds of ancient stellar explosions that took place billions of years ago. That’s why it is true, we are made of stardust!” says Iris Schrijver.
Not metaphorically. Literally. “We could not exist without the stars, including some of the estimated 100 tons of stellar material that pours into our atmosphere every day in the form of small meteorites and interplanetary dust!” explained Karel. “And it’s not just that, stardust from the cosmos continually and invisibly flows through us, and keeps us directly connected to the universe, sustaining us and rebuilding our cells and bodies over and over again, as long as we live!” Pause and absorb that. That realization alone can evoke awe.
The shift we desperately need
Modern anxiety and depression can arise from varying dimensions, some from hyper-focus on self: our image, performance, problems, and narratives around these. We scroll through curated lives, measure ourselves against filtered standards, and forget our greater place in the larger tapestry of existence.
Awe can powerfully interrupt this loop. It reminds us that we are connected, that we belong to nature, to community, to history, and to our very own cosmos. It can reduce inflammation, calm the nervous system, foster kindness, and strengthen social bonds, purpose, and meaning, restoring real perspective.
This does not mean medication, psychotherapy, or medical intervention are unnecessary. For many, they are essential. But awe represents a complementary pathway, one that is accessible, effective, and free.
So, go outside, look up at the sky. Listen to music that moves you. Witness an act of courage. Volunteer. Stand at the edge of an ocean or jump in it and swim. Learn about the stars, the planets, and the real world that made you, that you’re an integral part of.
Because sometimes the most powerful way to heal the mind is not to look inward harder, but to look outward wider. And remember, you are stardust, temporarily arranged into something conscious, something extraordinary.
Read more from Honor Tremain
Honor Tremain, Nutritionist, Author, and Journalist
Honor Tremain is an award-winning longevity nutritionist, author, and journalist whose journey into health began with a personal crisis where, between the ages of 18 and 23, Honor was bedridden with multiple chronic illnesses & determined to reclaim her life, she completed a Diploma in Nutrition, eventually healing herself, and went on to complete a science degree. Honor opened a thriving nutrition practice in Sydney, Australia, became a columnist and feature journalist for national and international publications, and in 2015, Honor published her debut book, A Diet in Paradise. Most recently, she founded Daya Pet Food Co., a health-focused and sustainable dog food company that was proudly awarded Best Health-Conscious Dog Food Brand 2025.
Find out more:
Find more on Human Nature here & to help support this charity's work, click here
Find Eckhart Tolle’s talk on Coming from the Being Dimension here
Find: Living with the Stars, by Karel & Iris Scrijver here
Find more of Dacher Keltner’s work here & listen to his interview on the Hidden Brain podcast on Awe: The Reset Button
Find Honor Tremain here
Find Honor’s interview with Iris & Karel Schrijver, “We are made of Star Dust” chapter from her book, The Complete Diet in Paradise, 2018, here
