Younger age groups, particularly adolescents and young adults (roughly 15-34 years), experience the highest rates and increases in anxiety, with rates often peaking in the 18-29 or 20-34 ranges, though it affects all ages, with women generally more impacted than men. Anxiety levels tend to decrease with age, though significant stress from life changes, societal pressures, and global events (like pandemics) heavily impacts younger generations.
Anxiety disorders (which may involve panic or excessive worry) are the most prevalent in this age group and are more common among older than among younger adolescents. It is estimated that 4.1% of 10–14-year-olds and 5.3% of 15–19-year-olds experience an anxiety disorder (1).
Symptoms often begin during childhood or adolescence and continue into adulthood. Girls and women are more likely to experience an anxiety disorder than boys and men.
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.
Separation anxiety disorder, specific phobia, and social phobia had their mean onset before the age of 15 years, whereas the AOO of agoraphobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder began, on average, between 21.1 and 34.9 years.
The #1 worst habit for anxiety isn't singular, but avoidance (procrastination), poor sleep, and negative thought patterns (like catastrophizing) are top contenders, creating vicious cycles where anxiety fuels these behaviors, and the behaviors, in turn, worsen anxiety by preventing healthy coping and creating more stress. Other significant habits include excessive caffeine, poor diet, too much screen time, and social withdrawal, all disrupting the body's ability to manage stress effectively.
Anxiety disorders are among the most persistent mental health syndromes. The few longitudinal studies that have been carried out in older adults with anxiety suggest that they tend to be persistent in this age group.
Surprising Science: The 2 Ages When People Are Happiest
According to a study by the London School of Economics and Political Science, happiness tends to peak not once, but twice in life: first at age 23, and again at age 69. Yes—69!
In it, he talks about how the ages of 22–42 are statistically the most unhappy period in life. Why? People come out of their early 20s and think life is supposed to be easy, but it's not. Those two decades are full of challenges.
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.
Difficult experiences in childhood, adolescence or adulthood are a common trigger for anxiety problems. Going through stress and trauma when you're very young is likely to have a particularly big impact. Experiences which can trigger anxiety problems include things like: physical or emotional abuse.
Many people already know that activities like yoga, exercise, meditation and talk therapy can help reduce anxiety.
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.
In fact, they found that when cortisol levels doubled, biological age increased by about 50%! This finding lines up with lots of other evidence that chronic stress can accelerate aging, making stress management a critical factor in healthy aging.
Anxiety is something that's commonly associated with women – many are open about it, and indeed, they are twice as likely as men to get it.
Anxiety disorders were associated with a significantly increased mortality risk, and the co-occurrence of these disorders resulted in an additionally increased death risk.
A 20-year study by the National Study of Daily Experiences (part of the MIDUS project) tracked adults aged 22 to 77 and uncovered some eye-opening insights: Highest Stress Levels: People in their 20s reported the most daily stress compared to all other age groups.
They also found that happiness across lifespan exists on a spectrum of valleys and peaks over time: Satisfaction with life declines between ages nine and 16, rises to reach its peak at age 70, then declines again until age 96 (the oldest age recorded in the study).
Put simply, at the age of 47.2, individuals across the world are often quite unhappy. Put a different way: Perhaps the midlife crisis truly does exist. Specifically, it's the fear of and the realities associated with growing older that seem to get most people down in the dumps.
According to researchers at Harvard, the age of 35 is the happiest, as that's when most of us begin to stabilise our lives, reach professional heights, and have stronger social ties—all of which contribute to our sense of total fulfilment.
According to this unscientific survey, most women peak between 19.9 years and 24.0 years (sample size 22).
“With older age, people focus more on the present and less on planning for the future, and this mindset is one possible explanation for high levels of well-being later in life.
There are several things you can try to help combat anxiety, including:
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)
What to avoid saying to someone with anxiety?