Millennial Mindset: The Worried Well

NEW YORK, October 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Adult millennials, the coveted 18 to 32-year-old demographic, highly value happiness. However -- according to a new US survey by Allidura Consumer and GSW, both part of inVentiv Health, and Harris Poll -- there appears to be a big tension between the aspirations for happiness – 97% say it's important -- and the well-documented way millennials are currently living: more stressed, anxious and depressed than any other living generation.[i]

The online survey of 3,530 teens and adults, including 2,015 adult millennials uncovered behaviors and attitudes about health that are unique or consistent across generations. The goal was to better understand today's health consumers in order to inform and facilitate better interactions with brands.

"As society shifts its focus from relying on HCPs to treat disease to taking individual responsibility for prevention and wellness, we wanted to understand how attuned millennials are to their health now, and how it factors into their everyday decision making," said Tracy Naden, managing director of Allidura Consumer. "What we learned is that millennials' mindset about health is very much an ever-present personal journey of wellness fueled by food, exercise and social connections."

The survey report, "Millennial Mindset: The Worried Well," notes that as creators of the quantified-self movement, millennials are often perceived as healthier than their Boomer counterparts. Yet, one commonality this generation may not have expected at such an early stage of adulthood is that they worry about their health almost exactly as much as Boomers (77% of both generations say they worry at least a little about getting a serious illness; 77% of adult millennials and 74% of Boomers say they worry at least a little about affording the cost of healthcare). In fact, millennial adults worry about their access to healthcare even more than Boomers (69% vs. 60% worry at least a little).

Health is a Constant State of Mind

The study suggests that millennials see the mind-body connection as important to overall health. With 69% of millennials reporting they stress about their personal health, it seems many are beginning to prioritize mental well-being as a key factor to physical health. In fact, survey results show that 35% of millennials believe seeing a therapist or psychiatrist regularly is important to good health.

Millennials are the first generation to grow up with "doctor Google" at their fingertips. According to Derek Flanzraich, CEO and Founder of Greatist.com, a popular health and wellness website for millennials, "There's never been more health information for millennials to find, so it only make sense that it's never been more difficult for them to properly screen, analyze and act on the right data." This is supported by survey data that finds 37% of millennials sometimes self-diagnose with health problems that they don't have. Perpetuating this "search and stress" cycle, 44% say that viewing health information online causes them to worry about their health.

"For millennials, the question isn't who can help them be healthy, but rather what can help them," said Leigh Householder, chief innovation officer at GSW. "To millennials, physical health is intricately connected with mental health. So, for brand marketers to be successful in reaching this audience, they must think about health and wellness the same way, and create solutions that inspire millennials to experience health at any given moment and throughout all aspects of their lives."

To read more about the millennials' health journey and how brands can reach this health-conscious consumer, download the "Millennial Mindset: The Worried Well" report here.

About the Millennials and Health Study

The millennials and health survey was administered online within the United States between May 21 and June 4, 2014, among 500 US teens ages 13-17 (Millennial teens); 2,015 US adults ages 18-32 (Millennial adults); 508 US adults ages 33-49 (Gen Xers); and 507 US adults ages 50-68 (Baby Boomers).  Harris Poll conducted the research.

About Allidura Consumer and GSW, Part of inVentiv Health

Allidura Consumer is a health and wellness communications agency that specializes in creating enduring alliances between brands and those that influence them. The programs and counsel Allidura offers have been tapped by a full range of consumer product companies, including global food and beverage brands, nutritional supplement makers, over-the-counter health and beauty products, and health technology companies. The agency specializes in integrated communications campaigns, corporate reputation management, content strategy and message development, influencer mapping and engagement, media relations and training and social media and employee engagement. You can learn more about Allidura Consumer at www.allidura.com.

GSW is a full-service healthcare communications agency that goes beyond advertising to create personalized brand experiences that involve, inspire, educate and activate people through ongoing brand journeys. MedAd News' and MM&M's 2014 Agency of the Year, GSW turns messages into brand experiences that transform people into success stories. Building partnerships with pharmaceutical, biotech and health-and-wellness clients in 18 major markets around the world, GSW creates marketing solutions through a comprehensive and wide array of services including advertising, digital and closed loop marketing, strategic insight, branding, communications planning, predictive modeling, market access strategies and media and market research. The agency is led by a team of best-in-class marketers who have experience with a variety of stakeholders such as healthcare professionals, patients, caregivers, payors and consumers. For more information, visit http://www.gsw-w.com.

Allidura and GSW are part of inVentiv Health, Inc., a life science knowledge and services company purpose-built for the new healthcare marketplace. inVentiv has created a new model by converging a vast range of essential services to fully align with clients' development and commercialization goals. For more information, visit www.inVentivHealth.com.

About The Harris Poll

Over the last 5 decades, Harris Polls have become media staples.  With comprehensive experience and precise technique in public opinion polling, along with a proven track record of uncovering consumers' motivations and behaviors, The Harris Poll has gained strong brand recognition around the world. The Harris Poll offers a diverse portfolio of proprietary client solutions to transform relevant insights into actionable foresight for a wide range of industries including health care, technology, public affairs, energy, telecommunications, financial services, insurance, media, retail, restaurant, and consumer packaged goods. Contact Harris Poll for more information.

[i] 2012 APA Stress In America Study

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SOURCE Allidura Consumer

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