The 'loneliest generation' gets lonelier: How millennials are dealing with the anxieties of isolation and the uncertainties of life after quarantine

Millennials experienced a "health shock" because of declining mental health, even before the coronavirus pandemic.Daniel Lozano Gonzalez/Getty Images

• The mental-health effects of the coronavirus pandemic are hitting people of all ages.
• Millennials find themselves in a precarious position. The generation had already been experiencing a mental-health decline. The loneliness and anxiety of quarantine life are not helping.
• There is a bright side: The generation might be changing the way mental health is addressed in the workplace.
• Read Business Insider's coverage of mental health in the age of coronavirus here.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The coronavirus pandemic is sowing the seeds of a mental-health epidemic. That's according to clinical psychologist Benjamin F. Miller, who wrote for USA Today that America was already on track to face a crisis before the outbreak.

Self-isolation and social distancing are exacerbating the problem: 55% of respondents in a survey by the Benenson Strategy Group said the coronavirus has affected their mental health.

While Americans of all ages are feeling the emotional toll of the pandemic, millennials represent a particularly vulnerable group. They were already suffering from declining mental health, leading to what experts call a "health shock." The new normal of life under quarantine is expected to inflame the loneliness and anxiety that so many within the generation already felt.

There are some silver linings, though, as millennials are leading the charge for mental-health resources in the workplace, which could result in positive changes.

Following is a look at the state of millennials' mental health during the pandemic, from stress over their parents' health to how they're coping through food and alcohol.