A Generation in Trouble Earlier Than Expected

They’re in their 20s, but some are already dealing with kidney stones, spinal disorders, and chronic disease rates that once belonged to people decades older. Doctors and nurses across the country are noticing a troubling shift in who’s walking through their clinic doors — and the patterns they’re seeing in Gen Z patients are hard to ignore.

As technology and time progress, medical professionals are beginning to recognize trends in the illnesses and diseases seen most often among members of Gen Z — and a Reddit thread posed the question to doctors and nurses who have been practicing for decades about what conditions they’re seeing far more of in younger patients compared to previous generations. The responses were eye-opening.

The Physical Toll of Modern Life

Older colleagues have noticed a trend of young people getting spinal disorders more and more often. One clinic used to treat maybe 10 patients under and around 30 a year — now there are two to three every month. The consensus is that more and more people spend their days barely moving. On the other end of the spectrum, there are people who go way too hard at the gym, lifting weights with poor form or lifting more than they should.

One medical professional noted that in the pre-2000s, she never saw a young person with a kidney stone — it was a problem that mainly affected people 40 and older. These days, it’s not uncommon to see young people get them. The trend is even more noticeable when people have more than one condition. The percentage of young adults with at least two chronic conditions went up from 21.8% in 2013 to 27.1% in 2023, supporting what doctors have noticed: more health problems are showing up earlier in adulthood.

The Mental Health Crisis Is Getting Worse

Nearly half of all Gen Z Americans — 46% — have already received a formal mental health diagnosis, most commonly anxiety, depression, or ADHD, and 37% believe they have a condition that has not yet been diagnosed. That’s a staggering number for a generation still largely in its 20s. Depression among U.S. adults ages 18 to 34 increased from 16.4% in 2013 to 25.0% in 2023.

Over 50% of Gen Z’s long-term disability claims are for mental health disorders, compared to approximately 40% for the overall population, and Gen Z antidepressant drug claims grew two times faster than all plan members from 2021 to 2024. The percentage of Gen Z adults reporting “excellent” mental health declined by 14 points between 2019 and 2025. These are not minor dips — they represent a generation under serious strain.

Small Changes, Big Consequences

A yearly physical is the standard preventive measure for adults, but many Gen Z patients are forgoing regular doctor appointments — and more than 1 in 4 young adults don’t have a primary care provider. As one doctor put it, more young people are going to TikTok and group chats than ever grabbing the phone and calling a doctor, and nearly half of Gen Z prioritizes health advice from influencers and peers over medical professionals.

Doctors warn that Gen Z may face similar or even earlier onset of chronic conditions if current lifestyle patterns persist. The good news? Many of these issues — sedentary behavior, poor hydration, skipped checkups, and social-media-fueled health misinformation — are addressable. Many younger adults now spend a lot of time sitting and looking at screens, which can affect their health, and sitting for long periods is linked to a higher risk of neck pain, especially when using phones and computers for extended times. Getting up, moving more, drinking water, and actually seeing a doctor aren’t glamorous fixes — but the data suggests they could be genuinely life-changing for a generation that still has time to course correct.