People under 30, the so-called Generation Z, are more likely to be exhausted and feel uncomfortable in their own bodies. They want more digitalization in the healthcare sector.
The psychological burden among young people under the age of 30 is noticeably higher than among older population groups. This trend has been accelerated by the pandemic, Reinhard Raml of the market research institute IFES explained on Thursday in Vienna at the presentation of the Austrian health report on behalf of the pharmaceutical company Sandoz.
Younger people are more likely to be exhausted and feel uncomfortable in their own bodies. What they want is more digitalization in healthcare.
The Austrian Health Report 2023 shows that the health of the population as a whole has continued to deteriorate even as the pandemic has been overcome. About two-thirds (65 percent) rate their general health as very good or good. That is less than 70 percent the year before and considerably less than in the period before the Covid pandemic.
16 percent are not at all satisfied with the health care system and only 45 percent are very satisfied. “We have never had such a bad result,” said the director of IFES.
Of the 1,003 people surveyed, 29 percent of the younger age group rate their mental health as very good or good. That compares with 63 percent of people aged 30 to 44, 60 percent of people aged 45 to 59 and 80 percent of people aged 60 and older. This means that the mental health of Generation Z is visibly below the population average, Raml reports. 15 percent of young people even describe their mental health as very poor or bad.
Uncertainty and fear about the future
The reasons for the increased psychological pressure on Generation Z cannot be fully determined, but the changed media landscape may be a contributing factor, Raml said. Younger people have information about crises available all the time on their smartphones, and there is “uncertainty and fear about the future.” However, there are no studies that prove that certain media use causes psychological disorders, emphasizes Christina Breil of the Institute for Health Promotion and Prevention (IfGP).
It is important to provide health information: “quality assured, accessible, user-friendly and target group specific,” advises Breil. “Generation Z is a generation that is very interested. We must take advantage of this opportunity,” said Peter Stenico, CEO of Sandoz.
Pharmacy delivery service “very important”
For example, 50 percent of young people consider the introduction of pharmacy delivery services very important or important and 80 percent want health data and more at the touch of a button.
A few days ago, the government announced a digitalization offensive in the healthcare sector and the development of a health app. “It is important that you have one page where everything is stored centrally,” Aldjic advised against individual “island solutions”.
Source: Krone
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