The age of anxiety? The birth cohort change in anxiety and neuroticism, 1952–1993.

Abstract

Two meta-analyses find that Americans have shifted toward substantially higher levels of anxiety and neuroticism during recent decades. Both college student (adult) and child samples increased almost a full standard deviation in anxiety between 1952 and 1993 (explaining about 20% of the variance in the trait). The average American child in the 1980s reported more anxiety than child psychiatric patients in the 1950s. Correlations with social indices (e.g., divorce rates, crime rates) suggest that decreases in social connectedness and increases in environmental dangers may be responsible for the rise in anxiety. Economic factors, however, seem to play little role. Birth cohort, as a proxy for broad social trends, may be an important influence on personality development, especially during childhood.

Development of personality in early and middle adulthood: Set like plaster or persistent change?

“…Time-lag studies of the Big Five are far rarer than cross-sectional and longitudinal studies; two important recent meta-analyses offer a comparison source for Neuroticism (Twenge, 2000) and Extraversion (Twenge, 2001). These studies examined how, across studies, publication year correlated with sample means for anxiety and Extraversion.…”

Self-esteem reactions to social interactions: Evidence for sociometer mechanisms across days, people, and nations.

“…In two meta-analyses, Twenge (2000) found that Americans' neuroticism and anxiety scores have increased by almost 1 full standard deviation in recent decades. When correlating this increase with a number of societal indicators, she found that decreases in social connectedness (e.g., increase in divorce rates and the percentage of people living alone) may be the driving factor.…”

Exploring how social networking sites impact youth with anxiety: A qualitative study of Facebook stressors among adolescents with an anxiety disorder diagnosis

“…These disorders are associated with low self-esteem, poor problem solving skills, social inhibition, and a strong desire to be accepted (Anderson, Williams, McGee, & Silva, 1987;Khalid-Khan, Santibanez, McMicken, & Rynn, 2007;McGee et al, 1990;Twenge, 2000). Altogether these characteristics may predispose adolescents with anxiety disorders to experience unique stressors while using Facebook.…”