The biggest medical concern for millennials is mental health.
That’s according to Cosmopolitan, which recently polled its readers on the issue. The majority – 52 percent – said mental health was their number one medical concern, followed by reproductive care (28 percent), the cost of pharmaceuticals (14 percent) and opioid addiction (5%).
Jessica Pels, editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan, told Know Your Value founder Mika Brzezinski this week that mental health is “less stigmatized than it used to be” and that “this generation is more proactive on their health than ever before.”
Healthcare as whole is equally important. The majority of readers – 72 percent – said access to healthcare is more important to them than the elimination of student debt. In addition, 83 percent said they believe healthcare is a human right.
Pels said healthcare is at the top of young people’s minds largely because of cost.
“This is a very cost-conscious generation,” she said. “They’re also very proactive about their health and it’s very expensive here to be healthy in this country.
The next issue of Cosmopolitan explores addiction with a special feature called “How to go to rehab.” According to the magazine, five million young people in America are struggling with addiction to alcohol, pain pills, benzos, heroin and other drugs. And a shocking 90 percent of addicts will never get help because of obstacles like stigma, cost and access.
Know Your Value staff