By Ann Marie Zihal, MS, LMFT, LPC, ACS, Senior Vice President of CCBHC Strategies & Innovation, Care Plus NJ
For years, behavioral health advocates, providers, educators, and policymakers have worked to reduce stigma and encourage people to seek help. That work has made a difference, particularly among young people. Conversations about behavioral health are more common, and more individuals are willing to speak openly about their experiences and seek support when they need it.
As awareness has grown, so too have the challenges many young adults are facing. A recent report from UnitedHealthcare and YouGov found that more than 62 percent of young adults ages 18 to 28 experienced a behavioral health concern in the past year. Among college students, that number rose to 69 percent, with anxiety, depression, and ADD/ADHD all reaching their highest levels in four years.
The findings reinforce what behavioral health providers have been seeing across communities for years. More young adults are recognizing when they need help and are increasingly willing to seek support. For many, however, seeking care is only the first step in a process that can be difficult to navigate.
Too often, obstacles emerge after someone has already decided they want help. Among those who did not seek care, one in four cited cost as the reason. But cost is only one piece of a much larger challenge. Accessing behavioral health services can still mean navigating insurance requirements, waiting weeks for an appointment, arranging transportation, and trying to make sense of a fragmented network of providers. For someone experiencing anxiety, depression, or a behavioral health crisis for the first time, those obstacles can be enough to stop the process before it ever begins.
Technology can be a valuable tool. It can provide information, increase awareness, and help connect people to resources. But when people begin relying on AI platforms for emotional support, it suggests there is a need that is not being fully addressed elsewhere.
The survey results point to a generation that is actively seeking support, asking questions, and looking for connection. The opportunity for providers, policymakers, educators, and community organizations is to ensure those individuals can find clear pathways to care, timely assistance, and trusted sources of guidance when they need them.
Where the Conversation Needs to Evolve
An important lesson emerges from the report’s findings. Encouraging people to seek support is only part of the equation. The behavioral health system must also make it easier for people to access care once they decide to reach out.
That is exactly what the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) model was designed to address. As one of New Jersey’s first CCBHCs, Care Plus NJ operates on a simple premise: behavioral health care should be available to anyone who needs it, regardless of diagnosis, insurance status, or ability to pay.
In practice, that means creating multiple pathways to care and reducing the obstacles that too often prevent people from accessing services. It means offering same-day access, integrating behavioral health, substance use, and primary care services, and providing support in schools, community settings, and crisis response programs. The goal is to connect people with services as early as possible, before challenges become more severe and more difficult to address.
When someone calls 988, walks into one of our same-day access sites, or seeks care through one of our community-based programs, the focus is not on navigating a complicated system. It is on connecting that person with the care, resources, and guidance they need.
A Gap That Starts at Home
The report also highlights a significant disconnect between what young adults are experiencing and what the adults around them recognize. While 69 percent of college students reported a behavioral health concern in the past year, only 43 percent of parents believed that to be the case.
That difference in perception has important implications. Parents, caregivers, educators, and other trusted adults are often among the first people a young person turns to when they are struggling. When behavioral health concerns go unrecognized or their prevalence is underestimated, opportunities for early support and intervention can be missed.
The transition from adolescence to adulthood is a period when many behavioral health conditions first emerge or become more pronounced. During these years, young adults are often navigating major life changes while establishing greater independence, making early recognition and access to support especially important. The earlier those conversations happen and the earlier care is accessed, the greater the opportunity to address challenges before they become more severe and more difficult to treat.
What Needs to Happen Next
Taken together, these findings reinforce the need for a behavioral health system that is available, responsive, and equipped to meet people when they seek help.
New Jersey already has proven models that help reduce obstacles to care and connect people with support when they need it. At Care Plus NJ, same-day access, crisis response, and integrated care are not future goals. They are services that are already available to tens of thousands of individuals and families across northern New Jersey through the CCBHC model.
That progress, however, depends on sustained investment. Without continued support for New Jersey’s CCBHCs, nearly half of current services could disappear, putting care at risk for approximately 23,000 individuals. The consequences would extend far beyond behavioral health providers. Reduced access to care can lead to more people experiencing preventable crises, increased strain on emergency departments and first responders, and greater burdens on families trying to support loved ones without the resources they need.
Throughout the report, young adults demonstrated a willingness to ask questions, engage in conversations about their behavioral health, and seek care when they needed it. Continued investment in proven models such as CCBHCs helps ensure that care is available when individuals and families decide to seek it.
Ann Marie Zihal, MS, LMFT, LPC, ACS, is Senior Vice President of CCBHC Strategies & Innovation at Care Plus NJ, one of the nation’s first Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics. Care Plus NJ provides integrated behavioral health, substance use, and primary care services to individuals and families across northern New Jersey. Learn more at careplusnj.org.
