Mental health is not a personal problem

The Polina Fund was established in September 2021 by a family grieving the loss of Polina, who died at 18 after struggling with mental health and substance abuse. The fund aims to support young women facing these challenges and to destigmatize these issues. The founder, Polina's aunt, stated that Polina's life influenced her approach to leadership, work structure, and interpersonal treatment, emphasizing shared responsibility in a difficult world. Young people entering the workforce today face unprecedented burdens, including prolonged social isolation from the pandemic, economic instability, political polarization, climate anxiety, and constant digital overstimulation. A survey of 1,000 full-time U.S. employees in early 2025 revealed that 75% experienced persistent low mood due to politics and current events, with nearly half finding life easier during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic's impact included a shift to online learning, intensified isolation, disruption of community programs, employment, education, and economic destabilization. Globally, youth anxiety and depression doubled during the pandemic, and 54% of Gen Z workers surveyed reported that their mental health has not fully recovered.