Rising costs, therapist shortages: Gen Z struggles to afford mental health care

‘Sometimes insurance companies might have two therapists that are in-network within a 100-miles radius.’ Photograph: Kemal Yildirim/Getty Images

Jazmyne Casillas, 23, describes her mental health struggles as “pretty gnarly”. She has been diagnosed with autism, borderline personality disorder, comorbid with bipolar type 2, depression and anxiety. She also struggles with forming long-term memories. “There are cycles where things are going fine, but the moment I hit a depressive slump, my life and everything I do just goes down the drain,” she says.

She knows she needs a good therapist and medication: “I’m pretty sure if I managed to get medication to handle the bipolar type 2 and generalized anxiety my life would significantly improve: I wouldn’t have to worry as much or anticipate the depressive cycles so often and I wouldn’t be so paralyzed by a lot of adult choices that I have to make.”