The study recorded implicit connections between individuals and their anxiety through an online assessment tool and found no substantial changes. While young adults aged 18–25 showed higher anxiety symptoms compared to older adults, these levels did not rise over time.
"Our findings may indicate that the mental health of U.S. adults is more resilient than commonly believed, despite numerous media reports about an ongoing 'mental health crisis,'" noted Noah French, a University of Virginia researcher and lead author on the study.
However, French pointed out potential limitations in the research, such as participant selection bias. The sample leaned towards younger and more educated individuals, and participants self-selected to participate. He advocated for future studies that mitigate these biases.
"One of my major lessons from this project is the lack of comprehensive research tracking entire populations' mental health over time," French said. "We need extensive additional research in this area, and I will remain skeptical of unsubstantiated claims about mental health trends."
French and his team analyzed data from nearly 100,000 U.S. adults who participated on the Project Implicit Health website between 2011 and 2022. Participants under self-reported measures to assess anxiety symptoms and reaction-time tasks examining associations between self-as-anxious or calmness.
The study used a continuous cross-sectional approach, gathering data as participants voluntarily accessed the online platform for over eleven years. This method enabled researchers to observe changes in anxiety outcomes over time and compare younger adults (18–25) with those aged 26 and older. Data collection occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, from January 2020 to May 2023.
The findings revealed no significant surge in anxiety symptoms at the onset of the pandemic. Instead, anxiety levels remained relatively stable, with younger adults consistently showing stronger associations than their older counterparts throughout the study period.