Study Finds No Long-Term Increase in Anxiety Levels During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the US
A large-scale study reveals that anxiety levels among U.S. adults remained stable throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, challenging assumptions of widespread mental health decline.
Recent research leveraging over a decade's worth of data reveals that anxiety symptoms among U.S. adults remained relatively stable throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This comprehensive online study, published in Clinical Psychological Science, analyzed self-reported anxiety levels and implicit associations related to anxiety in nearly 100,000 participants from 2011 to 2022. Despite widespread concerns about a mental health crisis, the findings indicate that there was no significant spike in anxiety during the pandemic's onset or progression.
The study also assessed unconscious anxiety associations through reaction-time tests, discovering that these associations persisted consistently across the years, with younger adults (ages 18–25) displaying stronger anxiety symptoms and self-concepts related to anxiety compared to older individuals. Interestingly, these patterns showed durability, with no marked changes coinciding with the COVID-19 emergency, which lasted from early 2020 to mid-2023.
Lead researcher Noah French from the University of Virginia pointed out that public perception may overestimate the mental health impact of the pandemic, given the resilience shown in the data. However, he emphasized the need for further research, noting limitations such as the sample's younger and more educated demographic and the self-selected nature of participants. French advocates for increased long-term mental health monitoring to better understand population-wide trends.
The study utilized a continual, real-time data collection method via the Project Implicit Health website, capturing implicit and explicit anxiety measures. This approach allowed the researchers to monitor subtle shifts over an extensive period, including the pandemic years. The results challenge headlines suggesting a nationwide mental health decline, highlighting resilience in the face of adversity.
For more details, see the full study: Noah J. French et al, Anxiety-Symptom Severity and Implicit and Explicit Self-as-Anxious Associations in a Large Online Sample of U.S. Adults: Trends From 2011 to 2022, Clinical Psychological Science, 2025. Source: Medical Xpress
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