Stress across Generational Cohorts, from Silent Generation to Z Generation: A Systematic Review

Although we live in one of the most stable periods from a socio-economic point of view, many studies show that the level of stress perceived by the population has increased, along with the incidence of psychiatric diseases associated with chronic stress, this divergence being influenced by a multifactorial context: technological and AI advances, challenges related to professional life, specific scenarios such as the coronavirus pandemic, etc.

By conducting this systematic literature review, we aimed to identify the potential intergenerational contrast related to the level of perceived psychological stress and biological stress, mainly following the four generations currently active in the workforce – Generation, Z, Y, X and Baby-Boomers.

We reached 471 studies through our systematic search in 5 scientific databases and we selected 48 studies which respected our including criteria. Studies assessed the generational cohort as the primary exposure, so there were no interventions that have been made.

Although research into perceived stress has supported clear gradients across generations, Generation Z appear to experience higher perceived stress than Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y across diverse contexts and geographic regions, though evidence for consistent generational differences in biological stress markers remains inconclusive.

Future research should prioritize physiological stress measurements across generations to determine whether subjective stress differences correspond to objective biological responses, and longitudinal designs are needed to distinguish true cohort effects from age and period effects.

The findings of this review carry implications for mental health practice, public health policy, and organizational management. The evidence presented in this review constitutes a call to action. The mental health of younger generations is not only an individual concern, but a challenge of the society, with serious implications for workforce productivity, social cohesion, healthcare systems, and the well-being of future generations.