The age of anxiety: living in fear for our children's mental health

Abstract

In both the United States and the United Kingdom, a series of surveys of the mental health of children and, in particular, adolescents have suggested that there appear to be significant increases in measured levels of anxiety and depression among more recently‐born populations. Here, 16 studies are selected of children in North America, which adds to the body of evidence suggesting that rates of depression among adolescent girls do appear to be rising (p=0.024) to rates of above one in seven suffering in the most recent of surveys, as opposed to almost seven times fewer being depressed among their mothers' generation. The results for boys also show a rise, but not yet significant at the p<0.05 level (p=0.108). These studies are taken from a wider worldwide set, which, in aggregate, do not show a sustained rise. In the worldwide set of studies, most of the more recent surveys have been taken in more equitable affluent countries away from North America or the United Kingdom. By inference, this review suggests that it is the particularly competitive and divisive social environments of North America and the United Kingdom that may well have led to levels of anxiety rising for children in countries in these regions more significantly than elsewhere in affluent countries. Geography appears to matter to children's mental health. The review begins and ends by raising concerns over the possible effects of the current economic crash given this social context, and the political desire to return to economic business as usual.

Citation

Dorling, D. (2009), "The age of anxiety: living in fear for our children's mental health", Journal of Public Mental Health, Vol. 8 No. 4, pp. 4-10. https://doi.org/10.1108/17465729200900022