Recent analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau’s weekly Household Purse Survey by researchers at Forbes Health found tthat more than 55 percent of Utah residents reported feeling nervous, anxious or on-edge at least several days a week. Those experts also found that to be particularly true of young adults in the 18-to-24 year age group. (Photo courtesy of Unsplash).
JERSEY CITY, NJ – A recent study has revealed that Utahns are the most anxiety-plagued of all Americans.
Based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s weekly Household Pulse Survey, that research found that more than 55 percent of Utah residents reported feeling nervous, anxious or on-edge at least several days a week, according to wellness experts at Forbes Health.
While minor worries can be a natural and inevitable part of everyday life, such worries are a problem when they reach the level of producing anxiety or interfere with work or studies.
Moreover, the Forbes study found that Utahns report symptoms of anxiety at nearly twice the national average.
Nationawide, the Census reported that anxiety disorders – the most common form of mental illness – affect more than 40 million Americans, or 19 percent of the population.
Young people are more likely to experience symptoms of anxiety than older adults, with nearly 50 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 reporting feeling depressed or anxious on a regular basis.
“Spikes in anxiety can correlate with our life cycle stages,” says Justine Carino, a licensed therapist and host of the podcast Thoughts from the Couch.
“Young adulthood is a time with a ton of change around the exact time that we start make big life decision independently.”
Other experts attribute the recent spike in the rate of anxiety across all U.S. age groups to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“(That) really impacted people’s mental health,” says Katie Schubert, a licensed mental health counselor in Saint Petersburg, FL. “Humans are social creatures – we are not intended to live in isolation.
“COVID also impacted a lot of people financially,” she adds. “Either they weren’t able to find jobs or the industry they were in suffered as a result of the pandemic.
“And, as people came out of isolation, many were experiencing social anxiety.”
Pandemic anxiety merely added to the worries facing young people, according to experts at Gifted Education International. They cited other anxiety-producing factors such as social media; the climate crisis; stressful, high stakes educational testing; and the loss of unstructured free time as young people transition to adulthood.
A 2020 study examining America’s shift to digital society also found that stress and anxiety as a result of increased technology use produced demoralized and frustrated users, information fatigue, loss of motivation, dissatisfaction at work and decreased individual productivity.
Thankfully, most people are able to work through increased level of stress and anxiety, Carino explains.
Low levels of anxiety can just mean you feel anxious, but are able to work through it, according to Carino. A medium level of anxiety may involve more intense feeling where you become fidgety or restless, even as you try to continue doing other things.
But high levels of anxiety typically include feelings of panic and extreme difficulty focusing, she says. Those feelings often lead to avoidance of work, classes or other responsibilities.
Here in Utah, forms of mental health support that are widely available include psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric nurses, addiction counselors, plus mental health, family or marriage counselors, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation website.
But many people in need of mental health care or substance use treatment are unable to access it in a timely manner due to provider shortages, particularly in rural areas.
There is also concern that provider shortages may be more pronounced due to increased demand following the pandemic. However, the recent shift toward tele-medicine for mental health services may alleviate some issues with accessing providers.
The Forbes Health editorial team provides useful insights for young adults to people in their 90s. It aims to help users achieve optimal wellness through peace of mind, physical fitness, nutritional balance, a flourishing family life and healthy aging.
For more information about the Forbes study, go online to https://www.forbes.com/health/mind/anxiety-statistics/#anxiety_across_america_which_state_experiences_it_the_most_section.