Gen Z Therapists' Guide
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Serving Generation Z (Gen Z) clients is a unique opportunity for mental health practitioners, whether they are themselves members of Gen Z or another generation. To help therapists better understand Gen Z clients and the issues they face, we’ve created a downloadable Gen Z Therapists’ Guide.
If you’re wondering about Gen Z mental health statistics, how Gen Z mental health compared to other generations, and “Why is Gen Z depressed?”, this Gen Z Therapists’ Guide has you covered.
What's the age range of Gen Z?
Gen Z refers to individuals born between 1995 and 2012. So, as of today, in 2024, they’re currently between 12 and 29-years-old.
One of the key distinguishing features of Gen Z is that they were born into the digital age with technology always available at their fingertips since birth.
And, while technological accessibility provides many benefits, such as instant social connectedness, it can also have many negative impacts.
This therapists’ guide explores some of the specific stressors members of Gen Z experience due to their increased access to social media and its depiction of current events, such as:
- A highly polarized political climate
- Violence (including mass shootings)
- Racial discrimination and unrest
- Climate change and global warming
- Separation and deportation of immigrant and migrant families
- Widespread harassment and assault reports
- International political and social unrest, conflict, war, and suffering
Unlimited access to distressing digital content can negatively impact the mental health of young developing minds—and cause significant stress.
If you see Gen Z clients in your practice, you’ll want to check out our Gen Z Therapists’ Guide to ensure you are familiar with their generation’s unique needs and perspectives.
Gen Z mental health statistics
Gen Z individuals experience a significant amount of stress, and they are more likely than other generations to report poor mental health, according to the American Psychological Association (APA).
In 2018, the APA conducted a nationwide survey of Gen Z individuals, called Stress in America, Generation Z. They found significant stressors included:
- Gun violence:
- Three in four Gen Zs report mass shootings as a significant source of stress.
- 75% of Gen Z adults feel stressed about mass shootings reported in the national news.
- School shootings: 56% of school-age Gen Zs state they experience stress at least sometimes when considering the possibility of a school shooting at their school
- The future: 68% of Gen Z adults feel very or somewhat significantly stressed about the nation’s future.
- Suicide: 62% feel stressed by the rise in suicide rates reported in the media.
- Migrant families: 57% feel stressed about seeing the deportation of immigrant and migrant families in the news.
- Mental health prevalence: 91% of Gen Zs, between ages 18 and 21, experienced at least one physical or emotional symptom of stress in the past month.
In the years since this survey was conducted, the demand for mental health care has increased even more—especially among young people. According to the 2022 COVID-19 Practitioner Impact Survey, the Gen Z mental health crisis continues, with 46% of psychologists reporting increases in patients ages 13 to 17, followed by 40% of practitioners reporting increases in patients ages 18 to 25.
Gen Z mental health compared to other generations
Compared with other generations, Gen Zs report higher levels of stress, particularly among Gen Zs of color. The APA’s Stress in America survey found:
- Common stressors among Gen Zs include:
- Work: 77% of Gen Zs (compared to 64% of other adults) report work as a common source of stress
- Money: 81% say money causes stress, compared with 64% of older adults
- Health: 75% report health-related stress, compared to 63% of older adults
- Personal stressors among Gen Z were attributed to:
- Bullying (35%)
- Personal debt (33%)
- Housing stability (31%)
- Food insecurity (28%)
- Substance use or addiction in their family (21%)
- Sexual orientation or gender identity (21%)
However, Gen Zs are also more likely to seek professional help, suggesting a rise in Gen Z and mental health awareness.
The survey found 37% of Gen Zs are more likely to have received mental health treatment, compared to:
- 35% of Millennials
- 26% of Gen Xers
- 22% of Boomers
Mental health in Gen Zs of color
Gen Z individuals of color were even more likely to report stress in certain areas compared to white peers.
For example, according to the same APA survey, four in ten Gen Zs of color reported the following stressors:
- 41% were stressed about personal debt (compared to 30% of white Gen Zs)
- 40% felt stress regarding housing instability (compared to 24% of white Gen Zs)
- 34% said food insecurity was a source of stress (compared to 23% of white peers)
Gen Z therapists’ guide
This SimplePractice therapists’ guide can help you get your private practice set up to effectively attract and meet the needs of Gen Z clients.
Use our therapist guide to learn ways clinicians can appeal to Gen Z clients and care for this generation, such as demonstrating that you are digitally and technically competent.
Tips from our Gen Z therapists’ guide to make your practice more appealing to Gen Z
As SimplePractice’s therapist guide points out, Gen Z individuals are skilled in the use of many digital mediums and may prefer to communicate this way via apps, telemedicine, instant messaging, or electronic health records. They may find these technological avenues of communication more appealing than taking time off from work or school and traveling to an in-person session.
Create a therapist website
A professional therapist website can provide a digital footprint of who you are and how you can help this generation. (Here are 10 top therapist websites to inspire you.) You can incorporate videos, link to social media platforms, and demonstrate your understanding of their unique needs through blogs and social media posts.
Offer telehealth
Secure digital video platforms, like the telehealth feature integrated in SimplePractice, allow you to provide virtual therapy sessions, which are more convenient than in-person sessions and often have more appeal to Gen Z clients.
Use a client portal
When possible, use an online client and patient portal to share paperwork, messages, and communicate updates to your client. This way, Gen Zs can complete paperwork on their smartphone or tablet—rather than filling out paperwork when they get to your office or having to print and fill out hard copies at home.
Provide secure HIPAA-compliant digital messaging
Exchanging private messages with your clients over a secure HIPAA-compliant messaging platform means clients can communicate with you via their preferred device.
Increase your online presence
Google your name to ensure your services are listed in various directories and review sites. Check out SimplePractice’s Monarch Directory, Vitals, RateMDs, Yelp, Psychology Today, and Healthgrades to increase your digital footprint and presence.
Online booking and scheduling
Make scheduling easy by using a digital platform where clients can book and schedule therapy appointments online and via their smartphone. This can make therapy more accessible than requiring a phone call and waiting to speak to someone during their school or workday.
Consider using apps and digital tools
Given the technical competence of Gen Z, they are more likely to seek out an electronic tool or app that is immediately available to supplement their therapeutic treatment or alleviate some of their symptoms.
Examples of apps you can suggest Gen Z clients try out include:
- Calm: An app with meditations that take as little as a few minutes to 20 or 30 minutes which can be used to improve sleep, reduce anxiety, enhance focus, and work on self-improvement goals.
- Suicide Safety Plan: This app allows the clinician and client to collaboratively work on a safety plan in the event of suicidal ideation. It lists warning signs, coping strategies, contacts, crisis lines, reasons to live, safety measures, and more.
- Chill Pill: This app provides an opportunity for individuals to share thoughts anonymously, answer reflective questions, and get peer support.
Keep this information handy. Download the Gen Z Therapists’ Guide to use in your practice as a reminder of how to best serve Gen Z clients.
How SimplePractice streamlines running your practice
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If you’ve been considering switching to an EHR system, SimplePractice empowers you to streamline appointment bookings, reminders, and rescheduling and simplify the billing and coding process—so you get more time for the things that matter most to you.
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