Experts say anxiety is increasing, both due to more awareness and prevalence, but the good news is it’s also one of the most treatable mental health conditions.
“Anxiety, in the most biological sense, is a warning sign that something bad might happen,” explains Dr. Debra Kissen, CEO of Light on Anxiety CBT Treatment Center, which specializes in cognitive behavior therapy.
Fear, says Kissen, is triggered by an immediate threat, while anxiety has a future connotation, whether that be a moment later or more distant.
“We have time to think of some future thing that can go wrong,” she says, which can be helpful in that it provides time for thought and decision-making. But in the modern world, anxiety seems to be on “overdrive.”
While anxiety symptoms may seem somewhat uniform across individuals, Kissen stresses that each person notices them in different ways. She will ask clients what they notice and what they feel when anxious, including doing a body scan to be aware of feelings.
Kissen says a more heightened awareness of anxiety is contributing to an increase in cases, but more than that, she says, the rate and volume of information in daily life has increased the prevalence of the condition.
“Modern life has gotten out of whack,” says Kissen, explaining that people try to pack more information and activities into each day, increasing the pace. With nearly constant social media and news updates, each new piece of information can provide potential anxiety.
She recommends adding “speed bumps,” like logging out of apps, to help slow down that flow of information.
Increase in awareness and prevalence
Anxiety can come in different forms, including social anxiety, phobias, generalized anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder, says Kissen.
While we do need the “false alarms” that anxiety can provide — prompting those good decisions, like not crossing a busy street — a constant state of anxiety can impair daily functions. As it increases in intensity and frequency, anxiety becomes more of a disorder, she explains.
In addition to seeing more cases of anxiety, Kissen said the incidence of self-harm and suicidal ideation has also increased, though she says this is not necessarily related to anxiety. These conditions, as well as depression, can sometimes co-occur with anxiety.
Impact on schools
Studies have shown that the COVID-19 pandemic increased levels of anxiety and depression, and Dr. Breana Mullen, assistant principal at Mynderse Academy in Seneca Falls, New York, says her school community was no exception.
Mullen says schools definitely had students who exhibited anxiety prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the pandemic contributed to an increase among students and staff.
“As we navigated our COVID response, it was clear that many people, including staff, students and families, were experiencing levels of anxiety and trauma that they may have never experienced before,” says Mullen, who recently completed her dissertation on the topic of how school leaders respond to student trauma.
Mullen adds that recent research has identified COVID as an Adverse Childhood Experience, or ACE, that can contribute to anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
She says her school district opened for those who wanted to return during the 2020-2021 school year, but also offered remote classes for those who wished to stay home. Among those who stayed home, returning later to full hallways and crowded cafeterias was overwhelming. Transition plans were created to help, and mental health professionals were available to assist as well.
“We partner now with many outside agencies to support students’ mental health,” Mullen explains, adding that arrangements also have been made to provide space for counseling agencies within the school so that students have access.
“We’re seeing more students diagnosed with anxiety and/or depressive disorders,” says Mullen. “We work with our mental health professionals, special education teachers and a variety of service providers to create individual plans for each of these students and their families.”
Mullen says the district continues to develop support for students and staff and works with local counseling agencies, though she notes more mental health professionals are needed overall. She recommends that schools work to develop community partnerships for additional support.
Help and treatment
In general, Kissen recommends primary care physicians as a first contact for treatment. These providers, she says, are a great “first line” in health care. She says medication and therapy or a combination of the two can treat different levels of anxiety.
She also recommends against using Google to seek information, as doing so “rarely ends in a good place.”
Above all, Kissen recommends not waiting to seek help. Self-care tips — such as maintaining a healthy diet, sleep and exercise — are good, but can also add more potential stress to someone who is already anxious. And telling oneself to just “not” be anxious won’t help.
“The key to anxiety is actually moving through it,” she explains.
Reading and seeking out workbooks, which are widely available and written by experts, can help, as can some apps, but seeking out care is important. Kissen notes that anxiety is one of the most treatable mental health conditions.
“It’s okay to have support and a coach,” says Kissen. “Why not have someone on the sidelines helping? Don’t wait until you feel terrible.”
