Written by: Srinidhi Arun Pennathur,
Published on: 20th May 2025.
A brief introduction: : According to the World Health Organization (2022), mental health can be defined as a “state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community.” It further emphasizes that mental well-being is an essential component of daily functioning and overall health. It underlies multiple aspects of our lives that extend beyond just our mood or emotions - it factors into our social relationships, relationship with ourselves, our decisions, our habits, and much more.
Over the years, mental health discourse has witnessed its own evolution, of sorts. The rise in awareness and conversations in more recent generations makes it important to understand how we got here. Therefore, this article seeks to delve into the journey mental health has undertaken across generations, through mental health literacy, stigmas and cultural differences.
Our different generations: A generation of people is essentially a group of people who were born and have lived/are living around the same time, often sharing ideologies or cultural influences. Steinem (2024) Cottrell (2020) have identified and categorized the different generations, starting from 1901 to the present. They are as follows:
- The Greatest (GI) Generation (1901-1927): This generation consists of people who lived through global events such as the two World Wars and the Depression.
- The Silent Generation (1928-1945): Also known as the traditionalist generation, people in this era, as the name suggests, took to conformity and abided by societal expectations. Their values and attitudes were also heavily shaped by the World Wars and the Great Depression.
- Baby Boomers Generation (1946-1964): This era, according to both, saw quite a lot of social change. Participating in protests, the rise of feminism and talks for equality. The advent of the television was a critical point in people’s lives.
- Generation X (1965-1980): This generation of people endorsed values like independence, practicality, and self-sufficiency. They lived through the AIDS epidemic, the rise of LGBTQ+ rights, as well as the inceptions of the computer and video games.
- Generation Y / Millennials (1980-1996): These people have lived lives with and without the internet, although more of the latter due to advancing times. A lot of them are incredibly community oriented, socially aware and realistic.
- Generation Z (1995/96-2009): This generation grew up with technology, through smartphones and tablets. They are more exposed to information in early childhood that people in previous generations were only given in adulthood. Individuals are more outspoken, inclusive and politically aware.
- Generation Alpha (2010-2024/25): Currently the youngest generation, these individuals have been born in an exceedingly technologically advancing world. While this may be an advantage, extreme technological reliance could impact brain function and social connections in the larger picture. Some of them were also the first to be born during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A glimpse into the different generations that have existed before and after us serves an important function because it is these preceding ideologies, traditions, beliefs and values that have been a cornerstone for perhaps some, if not all of today’s current influences.
Generation-specific stigmas: Steinem (2024) additionally described different issues that shaped these generations, the summary of which is as follows:
The GI and Silent generations—shaped by rigid post-war norms—saw mental distress as a personal failing, suppressed emotions as strength, and faced virtually no treatment options, leaving many to carry unresolved trauma. Baby Boomers inherited this wartime stoicism, maintaining a “tough exterior” well into later life, often compounded by age-related illnesses, social isolation, and discomfort with new technologies. Gen X, raised as “latchkey kids,” learned early self-reliance, but at the cost of loneliness and juggling chronic career and caregiving stresses. Millennials, brought up on Gen X’s pragmatic values, blend hustle-culture ambitions with lingering skepticism about vulnerability and therapy. Gen Z—true digital natives—are vocal about mental health yet risk information overload, cyberbullying, and FOMO from constant social-media exposure. Finally, Gen Alpha, the first fully screen-immersed cohort, may face stunted emotional and social development amid pandemic disruptions, over-structured lives, and relentless connectivity.
According to Ettenson (2023), Gen-Z individuals likely discuss mental health more freely and openly because they grew up in a world normalizing concepts like psychological distress and therapy, one unfamiliar to generations before them. They have been exposed to the notion that seeking support is a sign of resilience and strength, and where stigmatization is the problem.
Mental health literacy: Mental health literacy can be defined as the “ability to gain access to, understand, and use information in ways which promote and maintain good health” (Jorm et al., 1997). It involves recognizing signs and symptoms of various disorders, understanding their precipitating and perpetuating factors, and healthy coping strategies that can aid well-being. It additionally includes being cognizant of relevant services and how to access professional help. This becomes important because it allows for the early identification of mental distress and turmoil, and encourages intervention and asking for help. Moreover, it is instrumental in addressing and slowly alleviating stigmas commonly associated with mental health.
Jorm et al. (1997) in 1995, interviewed 2031 Australians aged 18–74 using case vignettes of depression and schizophrenia and found that, although most sensed something was wrong, only 28% (depression) and 16% (schizophrenia) used correct psychiatric labels. Half of respondents viewed psychiatrists or psychologists as helpful, however general practitioners or GPs were rated more favorably. Moreover, 42% deemed antidepressants harmful (29% helpful), 34% saw antipsychotics as harmful (23% helpful), and over 50% labeled hospital admission harmful. Despite these misgivings, the majority believed these conditions were treatable. Conducted before widespread Internet and social-media awareness, this study provides an early benchmark for how terminology, help-seeking behaviors, and treatment preferences have evolved across generations.
From an Indian perspective, Raghavan et al. (2024) conducted a study that involved 600 college students in Chennai completing a 90-minute mental-health literacy (MHL) session. What was found was that a single, interactive 90-minute session—far briefer than the typical 12-hour Mental Health First Aid model—can produce meaningful, lasting changes in both knowledge and willingness to engage with people experiencing mental-health problems. As it was delivered via psychologists and psychiatric social workers, its credibility automatically boosted. Overall, these findings support integrating shorter, interactive mental health literacy modules into college orientations or other life-skills courses to promote early recognition, reduce stigma, and foster help-seeking among students and young adults.
Generational stigmas and perspectives: From existing research :
Kumar (2024) surveyed roughly 191 Indian participants from Boomers through Gen -Z and uncovered a clear gap between people’s confidence in their mental-health knowledge and their actual performance. This overconfidence can delay recognition of distress and impede help-seeking. They also showed a generational shift in information sources; millennials and Gen-Z relied on social media, while older adults leaned more on family and friends. It was additionally found that, while “therapy” was broadly viewed positively, those aged 59–68 still harbored more negative associations—demonstrating that stigma can persist even amid growing openness.
Similarly, Jain et al. (2024) examined generational divides at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and linked them to mental-health outcomes: younger cohorts experienced heightened depression, anxiety, and loneliness tied to increased screen time and social-media usage, whereas older adults struggled with digital exclusion and disconnection from younger family members. Crucially, the study also pointed to the promise of intergenerational dialogue—as a way to bridge misunderstanding, bolster empathy, and jointly combat stigma.
Bridging the gap:
Collins (2023) in an article on understanding generational views on mental health, underscored the need for educational programs that could benefit older generations, informing them of the importance of mental health issues and treatment. These programs could also include having open conversations involving personal anecdotes or experiences with mental health issues and struggles, within families, for instance. This not only aids the dissemination of knowledge, but also humanizes mental health, and normalizes seeking help. More conversations can build stronger support systems where individuals feel like they have people/services to rely on in times of distress.
Other measures can involve embedding mental health into education, as described by above-mentioned studies. While mental health talks are a great starting point, they do not alone suffice. It is important to extend them to practical workshops, such as responder sessions for both students and faculty, preliminary support facilities on campus/school premises and perhaps workshops with realistic measures to counter stress and anxiety.
Any and all initiatives require collecting simple feedback (surveys, focus groups) from different age cohorts and publicly sharing improvements. Demonstrating real-world results not only motivates continued participation, but reassures each generation of the impact that positive changes can have on well-being.
References:
Botha, F., Morris, R., Butterworth, P., & Glozier, N. (2023). Generational differences in mental health trends in the twenty-first century. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 120(49). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2303781120
Collins, P. (2023, November 20). Understanding generational views on mental health. Oaks Integrated Care. https://oaksintcare.org/understanding-generational-views-on-mental-health/
Cottrell, S. (2020, January 2). A year-by-year guide to the different generations and their personalities. Parents. https://www.parents.com/parenting/better-parenting/style/generation-names-and-yea rs-a-cheat-sheet-for-parents/
Ettenson, K. (2023, November 14). The generational gap in perspectives on mental health. Child and Family Solutions Center. https://www.childandfamilysolutionscenter.com/the-generational-gap-in-perspectives-on-mental-healt/
Jain, P., Daga, P., Singh, A., Kothari, R., & Basumatary, A. (2024). Mind the gap: Exploring the impact of generational gap on mental health. International Journal for Multidisciplinary Research (IJFMR), 6(2). https://www.ijfmr.com/papers/2024/2/16297.pdf
Jorm, A. F., Korten, A. E., Jacomb, P. A., Christensen, H., Rodgers, B., & Pollitt, P. (1997). “Mental health literacy”: A survey of the public’s ability to recognise mental disorders and their beliefs about the effectiveness of treatment. Medical Journal of Australia, 166(4), 182–186. https://doi.org/10.5694/j.1326-5377.1997.tb140071.x
Kumar, A. (2024). Multi-generational analysis of perception and acceptance of mental illnesses: Current Indian context. The International Journal of Indian Psychology, 12(2). https://doi.org/10.25215/1202.356
Kutcher, S., Wei, Y., & Coniglio, C. (2016). Mental health literacy: Past, present, and future. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 61(3), 154–158. https://doi.org/10.1177/0706743715616609
Raghavan, V., Chandrasekaran, S., Paul, V., Mohan, G., Currie, G., Lilford, R., Furtado, V., Madan, J., Meyer, C., Sood, M., Chadda, R., Mohan, M., Shah, J., John, S., Iyer, S., Singh, S., Pattabiraman, R., R, T., R, P., & Birchwood, M. (2024). Effectiveness of a mental health literacy module on stigma related mental health knowledge and behaviour among youth in two educational settings in chennai, south india: A quasi-experimental study. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 98, 104074–104074. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104074
World Health Organization. (2022, June 17). Mental health. World Health Organization; World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-strengthening-our response
