HILDA data shows psychological distress is on the rise and loneliness is highest among young Australians

Young Australians experience higher psychological distress and more feelings of loneliness compared to older age groups, new HILDA data shows.

Although feelings of distress and loneliness have been more common during the pandemic, researchers are concerned about long-term trends.

Data also shows that teenagers are more likely to use electronic cigarettes and e-cigarettes than the rest of the population.

The 18th edition of the Household, Income and Labor Dynamics of Australia (HILDA) Annual Report examines data collected from 2001 to 2021 by tracking more than 17,000 people in more than 9,000 households. I am.

It provides valuable data on Australia’s economic well-being, family and social life, and physical and mental health. This edition also includes insights into e-cigarette and e-cigarette use during the first and second years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“A distinctive feature of HILDA is that the same households and individuals are interviewed every year, allowing us to see how their lives change over time,” said lead author Professor Roger Wilkins. Stated. “Data can tell us about the context and consequences of life outcomes such as poverty, unemployment, marital breakdown, and poor health because of the path an individual’s life took before and after those outcomes. Because you can know the way.”

Young people feel the most lonely

Between 2001 and 2009, the largest proportion of lonely people were people aged 65 and over. However, by 2021, the proportion of lonely individuals in this group will be the lowest of all age groups, and now it is the highest in the 15-24 age group. In all other age groups, the proportion of lonely people in 2021 was lower than in 2001.

Co-author Dr Ferdi Botha said: “There is a clear trend towards young people becoming more isolated and feeling isolated over time.” “If action and policies are not taken to intervene, loneliness and psychological distress may increase among young people, which may lead to poor physical and mental health and other broader societal problems. there is.

“Although loneliness increased during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, a long-term upward trend is clear for young people. This is partly related to increased use of smartphones and social media. “Maybe it is,” he said. .

increasing mental distress

Levels of psychological distress decrease with age, with the youngest age group (15-24 years) reporting the highest average distress scores in 2021. In 2021 he found that almost half (42.3 percent) of people aged 15 to 24 were experiencing psychological distress, up from 18.4 percent in 2011. .

From 2007 to 2021, a higher proportion of women experienced psychological distress than men. For men, the prevalence of psychological distress increased by approximately 51 percent over this period, while for women, the prevalence of psychological distress increased by approximately 63 percent.

HILDA pays attention to VAPE for the first time

2021 data shows that 14.1 percent of individuals age 15 and older have tried e-cigarettes or e-cigarettes.

Men were slightly more likely to use these products than women. Cigarette smokers were 19.3 percentage points more likely to vape than non-smokers.

“Age is an important factor in the use of electronic cigarettes and e-cigarettes, with people aged 15 to 19 being predicted to be 13.8 percentage points more likely to use these products than those aged 30 to 39.” said Professor Wilkins. “This means teens are much more likely to vape or use e-cigarettes than their parents or teachers.”

Marriage is on the decline, but married couples are better off financially

The proportion of married people has decreased, reflecting an increase in de facto relationships from 2001 to 2021. For men, the percentage of married men decreased from 56.3% in 2001 to 50.3%, while the percentage of married de facto relationships rose from 9% to 14.7%.

For women, the percentage of those who were married decreased from 54.5% to 48.2%, but the percentage of those in a de facto relationship increased from 8.9% to 14.3%.

Women were far more adversely affected than men when going from partnered to single, with their household income decreasing by at least 16.7 percent on average. Changing from a partner-mother household to a single-mother household was associated with an approximately 20% decrease in equalized household income, whereas the reverse was associated with an increase of 28.5% from her 22.4% .

“Compared to 2001, household incomes have increased, due in part to slightly lower average tax rates,” Professor Wilkins says. “Women are, on average, taxed at lower rates than men because of their lower earning levels. Inequality has decreased slightly with the arrival of COVID-19. Inequality was at its lowest in 2020. Although there was a slight increase in 2021, it was still lower than before the pandemic. ”

Women are more likely to work even when they are unwell

In the four weeks preceding the survey, 16.8 percent of employed men and 19.8 percent of employed women reported working when they were physically unwell, while 11.1 percent of employed men and 19.1 percent of employed women reported working when they were mentally unwell. reported working at a bad time. In total, 22.5 percent of employed men and 29.6 percent of employed women reported working when they were physically and/or mentally unwell.

People with moderate or severe disabilities or poor mental health were much more likely to work when unwell.