Why Some Young People Fear Social Isolation More Than COVID-19 - NPR

But for most of the pandemic, youth have been quarantined and away from their social circles, which could make depression and other mental illness worse.

There, she says, the coping skills she learned gave her perspective on quarantine: "I know all about how seeing friends and seeing people outside — and social interaction — is vital for survival.".

But many young people see continued social isolation as a much greater risk than COVID-19 to their own mental health.

"A lot of people are calling attention to coronavirus because it's right in front of us," she says.

For many young adults, life lived at a social distance, with a lack of peer support, comes at a high cost to mental health.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says nearly half of people between 18 and 29 report feeling symptoms of anxiety or depression.

"We haven't seen the government or adults as passionate about the things we really care about, like mental health and climate issues," she says.

It is not that they aren't concerned about the risks of COVID-19, she says; it's just that their risk calculations differ.

"They are appropriately realizing that isolation is a risk for them as well — it's a risk factor for depression, and depression is a risk factor for suicide," Jacobs says.

"After not being protected, after not being taken seriously, they were asked to take extreme measures to protect other groups and to put themselves at risk by doing so," Jacobs says.