What comes to mind for you when I say the name Joe Biden?
As we were planning our latest Times Opinion focus groups, we noticed recent studies, data, essays and polling about high rates of young women who identify as liberal or progressive saying they feel anxious or depressed or have been told they have mental health conditions.
To try to better understand this data and the pressures and self-awareness among some young Americans today, we gathered 13 progressive young women to talk about their experiences with mental health and, more broadly, whether Generation Z faces unique mental health challenges or if Gen Zers are just more open about their struggles than previous generations are.
“Our generation puts more time and effort into focusing on ourselves, especially improving mental health and the human side of ourselves,” said Molly, 25, another participant.
Several of the young women said that being progressive or liberal made them more inclined to educate themselves on issues, more accepting of differences — more open.