Declining societal religious norms are linked to rising youth anxiety across 70 countries
A recent study published in the journal Developmental Science suggests that shifts in cultural expectations for young people may play a role in rising child and adolescent anxiety rates. Specifically, the research indicates that growing up in societies with declining religious norms tends to be associated with an increase in youth anxiety. These findings provide evidence that community wide beliefs shape youth mental health, hinting at a need to find new ways to offer young people a sense of belonging in the modern world. Over the past three decades, many societies have changed how they raise children. Cultural expectations have shifted away from community focused values, like obedience, and toward individualistic traits, like personal responsibility. Scientists wanted to understand how these shifting societal values affect the mental well-being of children and teens. “Around the globe, we see rising numbers in young people being affected by mental health struggles. To be able to stop this concerning trend, it is needed to understand why mental disorders such as anxiety disorders are rising. There has been much research …
