Darryl-Lee Prince

I don't think it's just more anxiety.

I think young people are finding it harder to regulate.

And so it starts to become more about regulation and recovering from dysregulation.

And I think the nervous systems are just chronically activated.

So it's a real increase in that regard.

I think awareness has improved.

They have a language now for distress.

You're aware of it.

And so you're able to speak about it.

And I think there's less stigma because we've done a really good job, particularly in New Zealand, of making more awareness.

I'm suspecting that there's so much input.

You're getting instant access to lots of stuff, things that were probably hidden somewhere.

much more visible you know if there's things that go on around the world that you might have not actually worried about you just worried about what was going on with you and then there's obviously a lot of social media that basically gives you that instant information now we've got AI and I think that puts another level of

of challenge on your capacity to use your own brain and regulate yourself.

But I think ultimately we're not teaching kids how to regulate.

Clinically, what I'm seeing is much earlier onset.

I'm seeing more functional impairment.

That's the thing that's bothering me the most.

So more school refusal than ever, more shutdown.

So particularly if there's neurodiversity, what we're seeing a lot more of, which isn't actually a DSM diagnosis, is neurodiversity burnout.