If you’ve just finished school and the idea of jumping straight into college or work feels overwhelming, a gap year might sound like the solution. Maybe you’re feeling burned out after years of studying, or you want time to figure out your next steps before committing to anything long-term.
Taking a gap year is becoming more popular in the U.S. than ever, and time away from academic pressure can improve your mental health. But it’s a big step, and there are some things worth thinking about first, especially whether or not it’s the right move for your current mental health needs.
Knowing the gap year mental health benefits, along with the potential downsides, can help you make a decision. To help, this page covers:
A gap year is a planned break commonly taken after finishing school and before starting college or work. Despite the name, it could be longer or shorter than a year, and can take many different forms.
Some use a gap year to work and save money before college. Others travel, volunteer, or develop new skills. Some use the year to rest and recover after high school and do some life planning to work out their next steps.
Since there’s no fixed way of doing a gap year, many people end up engaging in a mix of all these things.
According to one U.S. poll, the proportion of graduates planning a gap year jumped from 8% in 2024 to 22% in 2026.[1] At the same time, fewer planned to go directly into work. This suggests that taking time out is fast becoming a normal choice rather than an unusual one.
What’s driving this change? Two often-cited factors are the tough entry-level job market and uncertainty about the effects of artificial intelligence on early-career opportunities.[2] Faced with fewer entry-level opportunities and uncertainty over which skills will be valuable in the future, many students see a gap year as an opportunity to consider their options.
Burnout can be another factor. After years of studying and exams, it’s common to feel emotionally exhausted or not ready to face another demanding educational program.
Academic burnout is a recognized state with three components:[3]
Research following students across their school years has found that academic burnout predicts depressive symptoms, which can make a gap year mental health break sound very appealing.[4]
A gap year isn’t a treatment for mental health difficulties. However, a well-planned break can support your overall emotional well-being. It can do so by providing:
One of the clearest gap year benefits is for burnout recovery. Research involving working adults suggests that taking time away from ongoing demands can temporarily improve health and well-being.[5]
But this makes planning your gap year important, because a busy travel schedule or demanding part-time job can make it difficult for you to recover from burnout. Plan adequate rest periods into your gap year, especially if burnout recovery is your goal.
The final years of high school can leave little room for self-discovery, particularly when all your focus is on getting the grades you need to graduate. A gap year can give you that space. Interviews with students who took one showed them developing a clearer sense of what they want, how they feel, and in some cases, a stronger sense of control over their own choices.[6]
This is known as identity work, and is a crucial part of growing up. The late teens and early twenties are the stage psychologists describe as a major window for exploring identity, so a gap year can provide the time for this.[7]
In some cases, a gap year will ask you to step into a world that you’re unfamiliar with. For example, you might be in full control of your day-to-day life for the first time, perhaps by:
These experiences can help you practice your decision-making and let you handle the responsibilities that come with adult life. Purposeful activity in your gap year, whether that’s travel, work, or volunteering, helps to build confidence you’ll need later in life.
Mission Prep is here to help you or your loved one take the next steps towards an improved mental well-being.
Anyone can take a gap year if they choose to, but it’s worth understanding the potential downsides before committing. It’s also important to understand the type of person most likely to benefit from one.
One study followed students who took a gap year and compared them with otherwise similar students who went straight to college.[8] On measures like more clarity, outlook for the future, or better career prospects, the study found no significant differences.
The study also found that gap-year students were slightly more likely to drop out of college later.[8] Separate research has also shown a link between taking a gap year and lower earnings later in adulthood, though individual outcomes vary.[9]
These findings don’t mean you shouldn’t take a gap year. Instead, they suggest that the potential benefits of time off need to be balanced against the possible drawbacks. A gap year can give you experiences you might never have had, foster greater clarity about your life goals, and help you develop a stronger sense of self. But for some people, a gap year can also be disruptive.
A gap year can also have benefits for those who had a difficult time at school. The lead researcher on this study has suggested that for students who have struggled with their mental health while at school, a gap year can be used to recover before the next stage.[9]
If you fit in this group, then the goal of a gap year mental health break might be to receive treatment, develop coping skills, and improve your college readiness before resuming your education. In that case, a gap year could be a solid choice.
A gap year can provide a break from the pressures of education, but time away is no substitute for appropriate treatment for mental health conditions. If the exhaustion you’re feeling persists even after school has finished or interferes with your daily life, time off alone may not be enough to fix it.
If you plan to travel during your gap year, consider how you will keep up with treatment and access support while you’re away. Travel can be stressful on its own, and when you’re far away from home, without support networks around you, an untreated mental health condition can worsen. Being away from your regular routine can make it more difficult to manage your mental health.
This is why it’s important to consider whether your mental health needs additional support before planning a gap year. Consider seeking support if low mood or anxiety persists for several weeks, causes significant distress, or interferes with school, work, relationships, or everyday activities.
You can do this by notifying your parents or a trusted adult about how you’ve been feeling recently, or, if you’re old enough, directly contact a mental health professional on your own.
The idea here isn’t to put a stop to your gap year plans, but rather to help you with whatever it is you’re experiencing now, so that in the future, you can fully enjoy the break you deserve.
Mission Prep provides treatment for teens experiencing various mental health conditions. Mental Health support is a phone call away – call 866-901-4047 to learn about your treatment options.
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Trying to work out whether what you’re dealing with is the expected tiredness after a demanding school schedule or something that needs closer attention is hard to do on your own.
Mission Prep Teen Treatment works closely with teens dealing with burnout, as well as the conditions closely linked to it, like depression and anxiety. We can help you make sense of what you’re experiencing and, if needed, provide therapeutic support that can help you plan out your next steps.
Whether you could benefit from residential treatment at one of our locations or something more flexible, like an outpatient mental health program delivered virtually, our team can help.
Mission Prep Teen Treatment accepts insurance and is in-network with most major providers. We are happy to help you check your insurance coverage for mental health care.
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