One in five young adults in the U.S. experience daily anxiety

Heather Carroll — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 20:31:01 +0000

One in five young adults in the U.S. experience daily anxiety Heather Carroll Tue, 10/20/2026 - 16:31

Key Takeaways

Anxiety diagnoses among young adults increased from 17.9% in 2020 to 23.4% in 2024, according to a new 911�� study, with higher rates among women and lesbians, gays, and bisexuals.
The study examined how overlapping identities, including race, sex and sexual orientation, relate to anxiety disparities.

In This Story

Nearly one in five young adults in the United States reported feeling anxious every day in 2024, up from 15% in 2020. Over the same period, the odds of receiving an anxiety diagnosis as well as use of prescription anxiety medication each rose by roughly a third.

Melissa Villodas Assistant Professor, Social Work. Photo provided

The overall increase in anxiety varied by race and ethnicity, sex, and sexual orientation, according to a new study by 911�� researcher Melissa Villodas. The research found higher rates of anxiety among women and lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) young adults than among their peers. Racial and ethnic differences were less clear-cut, varying by whether researchers looked at anxiety symptoms, diagnoses, or medication use and by sex and sexual orientation.

Published in the American Journal of Public Health, the study explored anxiety among nearly 11,000 U.S. adults ages 18 to 25. While most research considers demographic characteristics separately, Villodas and her colleagues studied them in combination to reveal differences that might be overlooked.

“Rather than assuming that all young adults experience anxiety in the same way, these findings underscore the importance of considering the multiple social identities and contexts that shape experiences with anxiety,” said Villodas, an assistant professor in the Department of Social Work at the College of Public Health.

Why it matters

Young adulthood is a vulnerable phase for the onset of mental health problems, and anxiety was already rising in this age group before the COVID-19 pandemic. The study can’t establish what caused the increases after 2020, but the researchers say its findings warrant attention to possible lasting impacts from the pandemic.

The research also offers a more specific picture of which young adults need support and raises questions about whether groups with fewer diagnoses are facing obstacles to get help.

Key findings

The researchers analyzed National Health Interview Survey responses between 2020 and 2024. Key findings included:

Daily anxiety, diagnoses, and medication increased. Daily anxiety rose from 15% to 19.5%, reported anxiety diagnoses increased from 17.9% to 23.4%, and prescription anxiety medication use rose from 9.8% to 13.3%. Despite the increase in daily anxiety, the intensity of anxiety respondents reported didn’t change significantly overall.
Nearly half of LGB young adults reported an anxiety diagnosis. In 2024, 44.6% reported having received a diagnosis, compared with 18.5% of straight young adults. Prescription anxiety medication use among LGB respondents doubled from 12.9% in 2020 to 26% in 2024. Among straight respondents, it increased from 9.3% to 10.4%.
Women consistently reported higher rates than men. In 2024, 32.1% of women reported having received an anxiety diagnosis, compared with 14.7% of men. About one in four women reported daily anxiety, and one in five took prescription anxiety medication.
Differences also emerged within racial and ethnic groups. Hispanic LGB young adults had about 4.7 times the odds of taking anxiety medication as their straight Hispanic peers. Black women had higher odds of an anxiety diagnosis and medication use than Black men.
Fewer diagnoses didn’t necessarily mean milder anxiety. In 2024, 31.3% of non-Hispanic White respondents reported an anxiety diagnosis, compared with 12.7% of non-Hispanic Black respondents, and 15.3% of Hispanic respondents. But across the study period, Black and White young adults did not differ significantly in reported anxiety intensity. The researchers noted that access to care, stigma, and differences in how symptoms are recognized might help explain the disparities.

Villodas’ coauthors were Alexandria B. Forte of the University of Connecticut, Hayden C. Dawes of Bryn Mawr College, Michelle R. Munson of New York University, and Mansoo Yu of the University of Missouri.

Thumbnail photo provided by BillionPhotos.com

Topics

Women's Health

Anxiety

LGBTQ+

Medication Assisted Treatment

Research

College of Public Health