Every second young person is afraid of mental illness
Almost two thirds (65%) of respondents are most afraid of a malignant tumor. In the previous year, this figure was 72 percent. The number of those most afraid of dementia or Alzheimer's also fell from 55% to 45%.
Accidents with serious injuries are also among the most feared illnesses (42%), followed by the fear of a stroke (41%) or a heart attack (38%). For around a third of respondents, the fear of serious eye disease, including blindness, is the most pronounced. Less common is the fear of lung disease (21%) or diabetes (13%).
However, in no other age group are worries about mental illness as high as among young adults (48%). In comparison: across all age groups, 27% stated that they feared mental illness.
DAK-Gesundheit has been investigating Germans' fear of illness since 2010. From October 30 to November 2, around one thousand Germans aged 14 and over were surveyed nationwide.
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Before the study, more psychic young humans had a fear of mental illness, and this fear was evident in 48% of the respondents. Despite the high prevalence, other illnesses like cancer, dementia, and heart disease were more feared. However, each age group had a lower percentage of individuals fearing mental illness, with young adults having the highest rate.
Source: www.stern.de
