Part 2 of Generation Why: What can be done about ailing millennial mental health?

In part one of "Generation Why: Millennial Mental Health," News Channel 3's Angela Chen explored the challenges many millennials face these days. The generation is seeing higher reported rates of depression than the previous generation.

We examined some stressors on mental health, like skyrocketing housing prices, social media isolation, childcare costs, and more, with a focus toward possible solutions in part two.

Michelle Lutz, a millennial public school teacher in the Coachella Valley, was diagnosed with depression and anxiety, with her days especially tough after giving birth to her son Bodie.

 "I love community, but when I had my son, I really suffered hard with post partum anxiety and depression. I just really felt like I was sinking," said Lutz, who is from La Quinta. "It's like I wanted to crawl into a hole, and like, 'Hey, let me know when it's better and I'll come out then.' It's like this feeling of nothingness."

Lutz said she is now healing through therapy, with her toddler son a bright spot in her days as they prepare for a baby brother.

Part of the mental overload, Lutz said, comes from the pressure to be the perfect, present parent. Working moms today spend as much time with their children as stay-at-home moms 40 years ago, according to "Changing Rhythms of American Family Life." Many families these days need both parents to work to make it in this economy, with social media often affecting self-esteem and mental health.

"You see the mom who's making the beautiful lunches with cut out hearts and, they're healthy and organic, and you managed to get some Cheez-Its in that box with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or whatever," said Carolina Vasquez, a clinical therapist at Desert Insight in Cathedral City.

"And now, maybe not consciously, but now, you're not feeling so good about how good of a mom you are." 

Another stressor is the student loan crisis. People who have debt are more likely to suffer depression and anxiety, according to Money and Mental Health Policy Institute.

The 2008 recession hit as millennials were in college, and around that time, universities began significantly upping tuition after state funding cuts, per the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities.

"I will never be able to pay off my student loans because as it is every month, they will increase higher than my monthly payment," said Andrew Montez, a 33-year-old civil litigation attorney from Bermuda Dunes. "I will never touch the principal balance of my student loans, and that's difficult. How can I make a future if I know I'll always have this hanging over my head?"

 Education Data Initiative reports the average student loan debt for 2025 is nearly $39,000. It is significantly more if a student borrowed for medical school or law school. As of 2025, the average medical school loan, including undergraduate debt, is $264,519 while the average law school debt, including undergrad debt, is about $130,000.

"There's so many issues right now that's facing us," said Montez."The cost of living is just — it doesn't stop going up and wages just don't increase at the same rate."

Between the aftermath of the pandemic, high housing market, social media polarization, and more, millennials are more likely to report being burned out, depressed, and die deaths of despair than the generation before them, according to Dr. Jean Twenge, the author of "Generations," who used CDC data on suicides, overdoses, and liver-related deaths in her analysis.

That's not to say previous generations didn't suffer mental health issues; it's that millennials and Gen Z are more comfortable reporting it.

 Lutz's approach and advice in improving mental health and battling burnout is to find community.

"Just really being open about really how I'm feeling instead of pretending because I think the longer you pretend, the harder it is for you to share how you're feeling," said Lutz.

"We're not looking for one another," said Rusty Redden, a 35-year-old mental health professional from Palm Desert. "So it increases this feeling of isolation. Like, well, we should just get it online, and so we get socially fragmented. We have this financial fragmentation and this familial fragmentation. My family's in Texas. So my village is not here." 

So what can change in the United States to ease the mounting burdens on millennials and future generations?

For some clues, we can look about 5,600 miles across the ocean to the country ranked happiest in the world: Finland.

"Finnish happiness isn't about high intensity feelings. It's about more about deep, calm, satisfaction towards life and being," said Miia Huitti, the founder of the Finnish Happiness Institute.

Finland has topped the World Happiness Report rankings since 2018. According to the Finnish Happiness Institute, there are two big parts of the secret to better mental health. The first part: access to nature. Huitti said taking the time to disconnect and slow down is an integral piece to feeling peace.

The second: knowing there are government social welfare programs that will catch you if you fall.

"We can really trust that if anything would happen, I would be taken care of by the system, by the government, by the municipality," said Huitti. "People that can help. That's the number one thing, I think, that creates a feeling of safety. And from a safe place, you can create and you can achieve anything."

Huitti shared that as she was struggling with burnout while she was raising baby twins and a newborn 13 months apart, the government had programs designed specifically to help mothers.

"Our municipality offered us a trained professional to come to into our home to take care of the twins and the newborn. Also so that I could go into the forest, for example, just to recharge myself or to go for a jog or go buy groceries or whatever," said Huitti. "I knew that I could always count on my municipality and that cost me like $6 an hour."

Finland offers robust mental health programs focused on prevention and improving quality of life. Is that possible here in California and the U.S. at large?

We asked our elected officials — at every level — what we can do to improve mental health here. One focus we heard from elected officials was on relieving parental stress.

"How can we make childcare easier and more accessible?" said Naomi Soto, the mayor pro tem of Palm Springs. "So that's helping people find the commercial space to do so. I'd love to see some programming on how to help people become homeowners and actually turn those into home daycares. There aren't many of those here in Palm Springs." 

 For CA Assemblymember Greg Wallis, mental wellness is linked to affordable housing. Housing advocates often blame the California Environmental Quality Act for the housing shortage, which allows anyone to sue over environmental concerns, often creating lengthy delays and extra costs.

"In the legislature, we've been taking a lot of steps to try and reduce government bureaucracy, roll back regulations, and allow builders to come back into the state and build more homes, right? said Wallis, the California Assemblymember of the 47th District. "So we passed a bill in the budget to reform the California Environmental Quality Act to allow infill housing to be more readily available and built here in the state." 

With this obstacle now out of the way, time will tell whether housing gets built more quickly.

As for national legislation, around mental health or childcare, Congressman Raul Ruiz says it's not possible right now because Republicans control all branches of government and refuse to support any Democrat initiative. Fresh off a plane after voting against the passage of President Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill," Ruiz said Medicaid cuts are his biggest worry.

"So this previous bill that is the largest cuts to Medicaid in history is going to leave 17 million people uninsured. And so what does that mean? That means that there's going to be uncompensated care. They're not gonna be able to get mental health coverage," said Representative Raul Ruiz of the 25th District. "It's going to be tough for these next two years. That's why it's so extremely vital that we win back the House."

As politics play out, some millennials are issuing a plea to the baby boomers and Gen X in power.

"We're asking you help us. We're trying. Don't stand as an obstacle in the way. Help us the way that we're going to assist the generations after us," said Montez. 

But for the bleak outlook, millennials who spoke to News Channel 3 say there is wonderful support to be found in the Coachella Valley — if you just look. There are mom and dad groups on social media — like "Dad Bod Pod" and "Moms Off Duty" on Instagram — to connect with other parents. 

This story was created with the support of the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism. Angela Chen is a 2025 fellow.