SALT LAKE CITY – If you’re feeling more anxious nowadays, national experts say you’re not alone.
A recent analysis of national data reveals that Utah adults reported a nearly 18 percent increase in feelings of anxiety between 2022 and 2024.
“Anxiety has always been present,” according to Dr. Ash Bhatt, a spokesman for the Legacy Healing Center in New Jersey.
But Bhatt says what mental health professionals are seeing now is a sustained increase in anxiety driven by multiple factors, including financial insecurity, social isolation and constant exposure to negative news, among others.
“When people feel uncertain about the future … the body stays in a state of stress,” he adds. “Over time, that becomes chronic anxiety.”
The Legacy Healing study was based on data from the national Household Pulse Surveys conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. In 2024, that survey found that more than 33 percent of Utahns reported experiencing feelings of anxiety, up from around 28 percent in 2022.
The 2024 data from Utah exceeds the national average of about 29 percent of U.S. adult reporting symptoms of anxiety in the same period, with younger adults and working-age populations among the most affected.
While less serious than other forms of mental illness, anxiety disorders of all types are much more common in teenagers, according to the CDC.
Nationally, about 32 percent of teens report feeling symptoms of anxiety, with young females more likely to be diagnosed as having anxiety disorders than their male counterparts.
“While younger adults are more open about reporting mental health challenges,” Bhatt notes, “they also face unique pressures like rising living costs and digital over-stimulation, which can intensify anxiety symptoms.”
The Legacy Healing study ranked Utah as the 21st state in the nation in terms of increased anxiety symptoms. Twenty other states reported even higher anxiety rates of 33.2 percent through 40.9 percent to the CDC as of 2024.
But Bhatt emphasized that anxiety is treatable, particularly through early intervention.
“Managing anxiety starts with small, consistent steps,” he explains. “Those include improving sleep; limiting exposure to stress triggers or social media; and building routines that create a sense of control.”
Therapy, counseling and medication can also make a significant difference, Bhatt adds, especially when combined with lifestyle changes.
Additional information about the Legacy Healing Center study can be found by going online to https://www.legacyhealingnj.com/.