Young adults (18-29) and adolescents (13-18) are among the most affected age groups for anxiety, with rates often highest in these younger demographics, though anxiety can affect any age, peaking in diagnosis during the 20s and 30s, and decreasing with older age, with significant increases seen in recent years among younger generations.
Anxiety disorders affect about 40 million American adults every year. Anxiety disorders also affect children and teens. About 8% of teens ages 13 to 18 have an anxiety disorder, with symptoms starting around age 6. Women are more than twice as likely as men to get an anxiety disorder in their lifetime.
Younger people are more likely to have some form of anxiety:
In 2021, those aged 16 to 29 years were most likely to have some form of anxiety (28% likely) This decreased steadily through the age groups, and the least likely group was those aged 70 and over (5% likely)
Taylor Swift may be one of the biggest pop stars on the globe, but she's also been strikingly honest about her mental health struggles. From eating disorders to the pressures of fame, from alcohol use to anxiety, Swift has given fans entrance ticket into her inner world.
1. Social Phobia: Fear of Social Interactions. Also known as Social Anxiety Disorder, social phobias are by far the most common fear or phobia our Talkspace therapists see in their clients.
Yes, Taylor Swift maintained a 4.0 GPA in high school, even completing her junior and senior years in just 12 months through homeschooling to accommodate her music career, showing she was academically successful as well as musically gifted.
Eminem has referenced Taylor Swift multiple times, most notably in a 2024 promo for his album The Death of Slim Shady, where his alter-ego, Slim Shady, declared, "You're not f***ing Taylor Swift. You had one era that mattered...mine," seemingly acknowledging her massive, multi-era success as a point of comparison for his own legacy, while also alluding to her Reputation era themes. He also previously defended her during Kanye West's infamous 2009 VMA interruption, calling it inappropriate.
The observed age pattern for daily stress was remarkably strong: stress was relatively high from age 20 through 50, followed by a precipitous decline through age 70 and beyond.
Depending on the socioeconomic situation, some Gen Zers encounter issue-specific stress such as fears tied to housing instability, food availability and nutrition as well as debt. Academics also top the list with 61% of teens feeling the pressure to achieve good grades which leads to getting into a college of choice.
What age group has the most social anxiety? The same NIMH study mentioned above found that rates of social anxiety were much higher in young adults than in middle-aged or older adults. 9.1% of adults 18-29 reported experiencing social anxiety in the previous year as opposed to only 3.1% of those 60 or older.
Neuroticism is significantly correlated with anxiety disorders [23]. Some findings have suggested that people with high neuroticism scores may be more likely to feel anxious than those with low scores [43]. It has also been proposed that all anxiety disorders are related to neuroticism [102,103].
It is unusual to see bruises appear on certain parts of the body following intense sadness or stress, yet this condition does indeed exist and is linked to a rare medical syndrome known as Psychogenic Purpura or Gardner-Diamond Syndrome.
If you find that you get diarrhea when you are stressed, you are not alone. In a survey of over 2,000 sufferers of frequent acute (short-term) diarrhea in the U.S., 25% of respondents indicated that nerves, anxiety, or stress were the cause of their diarrhea1.
Women are more likely than men to experience anxiety disorders.
A big event or a buildup of smaller stressful life situations may trigger excessive anxiety — for example, a death in the family, work stress or ongoing worry about finances. Personality. People with certain personality types are more prone to anxiety disorders than others are. Other mental health disorders.
Interestingly, the prevalence rates of anxiety disorders tend to go down as people age. It's part of a broader trend suggesting mental health improves in later life, to a certain extent. That being said, it's not insignificant that an estimated 10% of adults over age 60 are dealing with an anxiety disorder.
Women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, and the prevalence of anxiety disorders is significantly higher for women (23.4 percent) than men (14.3 percent).
Some people with anxiety also have symptoms that manifest physically, such as nausea and shakiness. Another physical symptom of anxiety (that is not often discussed) is gas problems. Although it may seem strange, many people do experience gas (burping and flatulence) connected to their anxiety.
Symptoms of stress
It's not uncommon for those with anxiety to be described as "pale" during an anxiety attack because they appear much lighter than their skin does normally. This occurs because blood rushes away from the skin towards the heart, which causes the body to lose some of its natural pigmentation.
Lesser known anxiety symptoms FAQs
During these episodes, symptoms occur most of the day, nearly every day and may include: Feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness or hopelessness. Angry outbursts, irritability or frustration, even over small matters. Loss of interest or pleasure in most or all normal activities, such as sex, hobbies or sports.
Stress and anxiety alone do not cause ulcers or damage to the digestive tract, but they can cause ongoing bothersome symptoms. For people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), stress and anxiety can cause flares of symptoms such as constipation, bloating and diarrhea.
If you've been stuck in the anxiety loop, it doesn't mean something is wrong with you. It means your brain is doing exactly what it was designed to do, just a little too well. The shift comes when we start to work with the brain instead of against it. And that starts with understanding anxiety inside out.