Anxiety and Mental Health

By Pierce K. Kozlowski

The Taboo Pandemic

Anxiety, as described by the National Institute of Mental Health, is temporary anxiousness caused by particular stressors. However, an anxiety disorder is when that anxiousness is persistent and it impedes one’s ability to function. “For a person with an anxiety disorder, the anxiety does not go away and can get worse over time. The symptoms can interfere with daily activities such as job performance, school work, and relationships.”

In America, Anxiety has become rampant and has radically increased in the younger demographics. The Journal of Psychiatric Research found that anxiety has increased 7% in adults and 15% in young adults in just the last decade alone. This is no secret either. America’s major institutions of education and work, including the general culture, are painfully aware of this trend.

Naturally, some theories have surfaced to better explain why anxiety has sprouted the way that it has in modern America. Doctors from The Open University explain that anxiety can be caused by the addictions of the modern smartphone (Harrison and Lucassen); writers from The Economic Times cite the negative secondary consequences of the new technological age in relation to general well being; Medical News Today explains how “relationship anxiety” commonly manifests within unhealthy relationships; and, most notably, Mayo Clinic comprehensively analyzed a mountain of factors which may have contributed to the 44% of college students experiencing depression and anxiety.

Adhering to the current trend, the anxiety in college students has unsurprisingly increased over the past year from 39% to 43%, with reports of students feeling “burnt out,” engaging in substance abuse to “cope” with stress, and a collective percentage drop in physical activity (Healthline), and these numbers have not improved—this is breathtakingly disquieting. An American mental health epidemic has violently emerged across all demographics in the last few decades, and the most important among us—the next generation, responsible for shaping the future—have been compromised in their well being as a result.

What exactly does anxiety look like, or at the very least, what are its causes in college students? According to Mayo Clinic, factors that can contribute to college anxiety include “difficulty handling schoolwork; loss of interest in activities, such as clubs, sports or other social commitments; changes in eating or sleeping pattern; emotional outbursts, such as tearfulness or anger; sense of being overwhelmed; panic; faulty self-assessments; and lack of energy.” Triggers which can prompt anxiety are “relationship breakup; sexual assault (which often goes unreported); peer relationship difficulties; sexual identity adjustment difficulties; drug or alcohol use; family history of depression; stressful life events; comparison of academic, athletic or social performance to one's peers; fears of disappointing parents because of grades or career path choice.” It further does not help that over 75% of students are unwilling to seek help for this particular problem.

This is damning for college students. Socially, dealing with such problems and wrestling with culturally taboo struggles are discouraged in the mainstream culture of America. And social media—which has convinced millions of Americans that their favorite influencers are in fact not normal people with natural struggles, but perfect beings with no problems in their lives whatsoever—has, if anything, disincentivized and discouraged mental health outreach across the board.

How To Move Forward

What can be done about this on an individual level? There are two bedrock concepts that can be used to help minimize feelings of embarrassment and anxiety in students: empathy, and knowledge.

By being empathetic, you step in the shoes of and look through the eyes of the other person who may be struggling, emotionally or otherwise, while inadvertently counteracting your more natural, selfish tendencies (forgetting to put yourself in the shoes of the other person before lashing out at them because of how they made you feel). This makes it easier to consider the situation of the other person as if you were in it. How would you want to be treated in difficult circumstances? Would you want people to be supportive rather than judgmental, kind rather than resentful? Of course you would. The golden rule applies here: Treat others as you want to be treated. Empathy shows you actually care about the other person and their well-being rather than the mild inconvenience you feel they bothered you with.

By being knowledgeable, you can act with wisdom as opposed to ignorance when interacting with others who may be struggling. Whether it's reading health articles, watching educational videos, perusing informational books, or simply talking with others who struggle or have struggled with anxiety, it can you give you insight into what, precisely, the other person is going through. How do they feel? What are they thinking? How do they see others? How do they think others see them? There is no guarantee in knowing the absolute truth to those questions if you are not the other person with the anxiety. However, the more applicable knowledge you have of what anxiety is and how to deal with it will allow you to better gauge how to interact with people to their benefit rather than their detriment if they are in fact going through a difficult time.

Anxiety, and mental health more broadly, is not something to be taken lightly. Just as the body has certain requirements to be healthy, so too does the mind. By knowing what the problem is, that means there is an opportunity to seek a solution. That fact becomes highlighted once the well-being of other people enters the frame. Just as physical conditions for the body are treated, so too should mental conditions for the mind. What good is one if the other is compromised? A healthy mind with a broken body, or a healthy body with a broken mind? The former sounds laughable, but the latter is far closer to reality. In this day in age, both scenarios are asinine and should be given the same priority.

While efforts from bigger institutions and outreach groups will be required to effectively combat this problem, it begins on the individual level. Start by being empathetic and knowledgeable, treating those who may be battling anxiety with kindness and patience. Since we cannot always know who is dealing with anxiety, treating everyone with kindness and patience is the key.

References

1. “Anxiety Disorders.” National Institute of Mental Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders.

2. “College Students and Depression.” Mayo Clinic Health System, www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/college-students-and-depression.

3. Goodwin, Renee D., et al. “Trends in Anxiety among Adults in the United States, 2008–2018: Rapid Increases among Young Adults.” Journal of Psychiatric Research, Pergamon, 21 Aug. 2020, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022395620309250?via%3Dihub.

4. “Here's How Technology Affects Our Life - Technology Addiction.” The Economic Times, economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/internet/heres-how-technology-affects-our-life/technology-addiction/slideshow/62497145.cms.

5. Person. “College Students Report High Levels of Anxiety amid Pandemic.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 26 July 2021, www.healthline.com/health-news/college-students-increasingly-report-high-levels-of-anxiety-and-burnout-during-the-pandemic#:~:text=During%20this%20timeline%20students%20who,24%20percent%20to%2028%20percent.

6. “Relationship Anxiety: Signs, Causes, and Management.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/relationship-anxiety#signs.

7. Stress and Anxiety in the Digital Age: The Dark Side of Technology, www.open.edu/openlearn/health-sports-psychology/mental-health/managing-stress-and-anxiety-the-digital-age-the-dark-side-technology.