The Objectives
Anxiety disorders are the type of specific mental health status that negatively influences an individual’s mental, physical, and emotional well-being. From the first assignment, it is identified that persistence of high levels of anxiety restricts individuals to perform their required and specific activities efficiently and effectively. An increase in heartbeats, nervousness, fear, panic, sweating, and others are found to be the primary symptoms of anxiety (Mendaglio, 2021). It can be mentioned that in case an individual suffers from high levels of anxiety, they should take proactive measures or healthcare services in order to minimise the accelerated severe mental health challenges such as depression, headaches, substance misuse, social isolation, and others.
From the first assignment, it has been identified that the prolonged onset of Covid-19 contributes negatively to the physical and mental health conditions of almost every individual across the globe. Since the outbreak of Covid-19, anxiety level has increased due to the prolonged persistence of nationwide lockdown, social distancing, closure of school colleges, businesses for an uncertain time, and others (Siddiqui et al. 2021). It is identified that anxiety can be considered as one of the most prevalent mental health challenges across the globe that negatively influence human lives.
The major purpose and aim of the present research are to analyse the way anxiety has been gradually becoming one of the major mental health challenges across the globe.
- To identify the reason behind the growing prevalence of anxiety across the globe
- To highlight the sociological factors that contribute to increased anxiety levels among the undergraduate students
- To identify the impact of anxiety upon today’s generation after the outbreak of Covid-19
The present research is going to consider both qualitative and quantitative methods for interpreting each of the research-related information. In the context of qualitative methods, participants are selected based on purposeful sampling methods. For example, participants such as students, youth, teenagers, and other similar groups who are found to have witnessed high levels of mental health disorder or anxiety are being considered. On the other hand, quantitative research is going to consider descriptive statistical analysis, which means participants that are being considered by other authors in their research evaluation are being considered.
Research design is found to influence the reliability of the overall research and it provides a suitable base in accordance to which throughout research evaluation can be made systematically. Research design can be split into three ways such as descriptive, explanatory, and exploratory research design. In the context of present research, in order to analyse the level of anxiety and its consequences upon the young generation will be based on descriptive design. The key reason behind this selection is that the selected topic as a highlight in assignment 1 can be interlinked with the non-quantified topic. Considering descriptive design enhances the chance for incorporating both qualitative and quantitative methods that positively influence overall research outcomes (Mohajan, 2018). Along with this, descriptive design helps the researchers to perform in-depth illustrations regarding the selected health issues and interpret the research-related information in a more efficient and logical format.
Method
Failure to identify appropriate research processes in accordance with the research needs can negatively affect upon research completion. Starting from research design, research approach, data collection method, ethics and others plays a significant role in research-based activities (Zangirolami-Raimundo et al. 2018).
The research approach requires to be considered as it helps to provide clear insight and visualisation about the selected research topic. In the context of the present research, deductive research approaches are going to be considered to analyse the present research in an appropriate manner (Snyder, 2019). Consideration of this approach enhances the chance for appropriately generalising the overall research findings. On the other hand, data collection also plays a crucial role in determining the solution of the predefined research issues. In the context of the present research, secondary research is going to be considered as it helps to enhance the chance of generating the desired outcome cost-effectively. Different already published sources of information such as magazine, books, articles, journals, and others are being considered to collect information regarding anxiety and its consequences in accordance to which throughout analysis is being made.
In the context of the present research, both qualitative and quantitative analysis is going to be considered. Qualitative methods are found to be emphasised upon analysing and collecting non-quantified information to understand opinions, concepts, and experiences. On the other hand, quantitative analysis deals with the analysis and collecting of quantified data related to the research topic (Ngozwana, 2018). Consideration of both of the mentioned analysis enhances the chance of obtaining valuable insight into the collected data. In addition to this, consideration of the mentioned analysis maximises the researcher’s ability to collect strong evidence that positively influences upon overall research outcome.
Despite the identified methodological approach, research ethics is going to be considered to maintain authenticity and validity of the overall research. As mentioned by Basias and Pollalis (2018), consideration of research ethics prevents the occurrence of any kind of scientific misconduct and maintains overall reliability of the research. Integrity, confidentiality, honesty, respect, values, and others are going to be maintained throughout analysis. In addition to this, Data Protection Act 2018 and General Data Protection Regulation is going to be followed to minimise the occurrence of data theft, data breach, or data loss issues. In this regard, it can be mentioned that each of the selected methodological approaches has the potential to influence positively the overall research outcome.
Participants
Anxiety can be considered as a specific situation characterised by the persistence and marked fear of being scrutinised and humiliated by others. Chiu et al. (2021) underline that anxiety can be varied from person to person based upon their attitude, perception, lifestyle, and others. For example, individuals fear of social interaction such as speaking on telephone, involving within a group, conversations with strangers and others can contribute to the generation of anxiety level. On the other hand, some specific group is influenced by high levels of anxiety due to their inability to perform specific activities effectively. For example, in the context of elderly people, they are suffering from high levels of anxiety due to their inappropriate health conditions. This negatively impacts upon their self-esteem and morale as well as affects their emotional well-being. Considering the following figure related to cognitive model of social anxiety, the author Leigh and Clark (2018) tries to highlight that while an individual is within a particular social situation; their core attention is likely to shift towards internal focus in order to perceive the way they are interacting with others. However, this self-focused attitude or behaviour sometimes leads to the generation of anxiety and negatively impacts upon one’s emotional and mental well-being.
Figure 1: Cognitive model of social anxiety
(Source: Leigh and Clark, 2018)
On the other hand, Husky et al. (2020) underline university students as being the most vulnerable to mental health disorders, specifically anxiety disorder. Closures of school, college, university, along with the disruption in the education system generate uncertainty about whether the students would be able to accomplish their future career goals or not. This generates anxiety levels leading to an adverse impact upon their mental and emotional well-being. Saddik et al. (2020) mentioned that due to the outbreak of Covid-19, lockdown, social distancing, and quarantine generate urgency for the people to find alternative ways to accomplish their required and essential activities. For example, by undertaking desperate and quick attempts to normalise the overall activities of business, people have forgotten the adverse consequences of sudden changes. Young adults are found to be struggling hard to adjust themselves to a new normal environment. On the other hand, the author also highlights that healthcare professionals are the highly affected people who are suffering from higher levels of anxiety disorder after the outbreak of Covid-19.
Figure 2: Anxiety level among healthcare professionals pre and during Covid-19 pandemic
Design
(Source: Saddik et al. 2020)
Considering the present environment, poor income, social isolation, psychological, humiliation, stereotyping, and others are found to be the other factors that directly impact upon one’s mental and emotional well-being. Kwong et al. (2021) in this regard highlights that dramatic changes have been identified across societies due to the outbreak of Covid-19. In addition to this, by considering the following figure, the author also underlines that poor self-esteem; moral, anxiety, and depression have been increasing among young adults rapidly since the outbreak of Covid-19.
Figure 3: Growth of Anxiety level pre to during the Covid-19 pandemic situation
(Source: Kwong et al. 2021)
In contrast, stereotyping and racism are found to be another challenge that most of the school and undergraduate students have witnessed. As students are found to come from different religions, races, and backgrounds, a high level of discrimination has been raised. This in turn, negatively impacts one’s emotional health, which leads to the generation of anxiety and impacts negatively upon their academic performance (Daly and Robinson, 2021). It is identified that every young adult has been struggling hard to deal with his or her anxiety level specifically after the onset of Covid-19.
Discussion and Conclusion
Anxiety and fear can lead to severe challenges and create emotional and mental disorders. From the findings underlined in the earlier section, it is identified that anxiety disorders have been growing at a rapid pace across the world. Specifically, young adults, healthcare professionals, and students are found to be the vulnerable groups to anxiety issues. Yang et al. (2021) in this regards highlight that globally the number of anxiety disorder patients was found to be 31.13 million during the year 1990, which was increased to 45.82 million in 2019. Statistical evidence’s signifies with the rapid change in people lifestyles, their interests, income levels, and needs, and others are the key reasons behind the growing level of anxiety.
On the other hand, it has been identified that anxiety and depressive disorders have increased dramatically during 2020 after the outbreak of Covid-19. The key reason behind this statement is that business and school closure, nationwide lockdowns, social restrictions, declining economic activity, and changing priorities negatively influence upon people’s mental and emotional health (Santomauro et al. 2021). It is identified that students since 2020 have been struggling hard to adjust themselves to a new learning environment. For example, due to school closure and the online learning process provides opportunities for every student, specifically the weak students to obtain higher marks as students can complete their exams and assignments from home. In these scenarios, after re-opening the universities and schools these students might fail to obtain good marks that generate fear of humiliation from peers and teachers that leads to the occurrence of higher level of anxiety (Li et al. 2020).
Procedure
Discrimination and stereotyping are found to be one of the key contributors to the occurrence of anxiety levels, specifically among students. In addition to this, this anxiety level needs to be addressed appropriately to minimise its adverse consequences upon students and young adults as higher levels of anxiety hinder their chance to accomplish career, professional and academic goals.
Conclusion
In the context of overall discussion, it can be articulated that psychological and social are the key factors that directly influence upon individuals, specifically students’ mental and emotional health. Considering the evidence obtained from the first assignment, it has been identified that after the outbreak of Covid-19, the level of anxiety disorder among young professionals, adults and students has enhanced dramatically. On the other hand, due to physical inabilities, self-focus attitudes and poor self-esteem were also found to be key contributors to anxiety.
The overall evidence and discussion have met the proposed question about the way anxiety has become a global burden that severely impacts upon mental and emotional health of young adults. With the help of an identified methodological approach, it is identified that rapid changes in lifestyles and needs can be considered as key reasons behind growing anxiety levels. On the other hand, it has also been identified that since 2020 after the outbreak of Covid-19, the growing rate of anxiety or mental health disorder has increased dramatically due to drastic lifestyle changes.
The entire research is based upon secondary research analysis and omission of factual or real-life, evidences along with primary data restricts the entire research to a certain extent. Thus, in the future, information obtained from this research can be utilised to determine the consequences of anxiety along with its associated mental health challenges upon specific groups accurately through primary data analysis.
References
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Zangirolami-Raimundo, J., Echeimberg, J.D.O. and Leone, C., (2018). Research methodology topics: Cross-sectional studies. Journal of Human Growth and Development, 28(3), pp.356-360.
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