Young women are struggling, too. Why can't we see it?
It's Been a Minute
NPR
4.7 • 9.2K Ratings
🗓️ 13 March 2026
⏱️ 16 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Over the past two years, statistics about men's mental health, educational advancement, and financial well-being have made headlines. And, in turn, sparked an industry of organizations, pundits, and others ringing the alarm about men, particularly young men, being in crisis. But, the data shows young women are struggling at the same rates in most categories. In this episode we're looking at broader data — across genders — to see if it paints a more accurate picture of what's going on and to understand why when one gender suffers...all genders do.
Brittany is joined by Faith Hill, staff writer at the Atlantic, and Dr. Meg Jay, clinical psychologist and author of the Twentysomething Treatment to unpack the unspoken crisis women are facing.
Interested in more conversations about modern adulthood? Check out these episodes:
The myth of modern "adulthood"
The political power of Gen Z women
Make America Male Again?
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | there's a thought that stuck with me, and I've heard it coming up again and again in different |
| 0:05.9 | conversations I've been having. It's about this alleged men's crisis we're living in. The idea |
| 0:11.8 | that men are no longer living up to the social and economic gains of their fathers and |
| 0:16.0 | grandfathers, and society has tossed them to the wolves of loneliness, despair, and purposelessness. |
| 0:23.4 | I am left with one question. |
| 0:26.4 | What about the women? |
| 0:28.1 | According to one 2024 study, women across 34 countries are faring worse than men |
| 0:33.1 | when it comes to their levels of anxiety, despair, and overall mental health. |
| 0:37.6 | You know, in some ways we're just really a nerd to women's suffering. |
| 0:41.4 | We're used to it. |
| 0:42.2 | It doesn't grab us because it's, you know, a very old problem. |
| 0:47.2 | I also think a lot of times women's suffering, it's quiet |
| 0:51.9 | because it's women have had to suffer quietly for a very long time. |
| 0:56.2 | Historically, Faith is absolutely right. Women have long been more likely than men to |
| 1:01.2 | struggle with or being diagnosed with depression and anxiety. I'm here with Faith Hill, |
| 1:06.9 | staff writer for The Atlantic and Meg Jay, clinical psychologist and author of the 20-something treatment. |
| 1:13.5 | Thanks for having us. It's a pleasure to be here. |
| 1:18.5 | Hello, hello. I'm Brittany Luce, and you're listening to It's Been a Minute from NPR, |
| 1:23.6 | a show about what's going on in culture and why it doesn't happen by accident. |
| 1:34.6 | Faith, you recently wrote an article for the Atlantic called Young Men Aren't the |
| 1:39.2 | only ones struggling. And it was about the mental health and, frankly, identity crisis that young American |
| 1:45.5 | women are facing today, as American culture and media has been fascinated the past few years |
... |
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