Alarming news: how Russian residents assess their mood

Foundation “Public Opinion” published sociological bulletin for the 40th week of this year. As it turned out, compared to last week, Russians began to report an anxious state in their family and friends more often (+2%). At the same time, at the end of September the level of anxiety was even lower, which may indicate an increase in anxiety in society.

By the way, recently specialists from the online health management service Budu also became concerned about the issue of the emotional climate in the country. Analysts compiled a rating of 15 regions, whose residents rated their level of happiness. About it reported Life.ru publication with reference to the survey results. Respondents rated their mental state, emotional stress and level of anxiety on a scale from 1 to 10.

As the study showed, the most “sad” and “alarming” region is the Nizhny Novgorod region. There, residents rated their mental state at only 4 points, emotional stress at 3 points, and anxiety level at 4.3 points. In second place is the Krasnoyarsk Territory. The Rostov region took alarming bronze, followed by the Perm region, Omsk region and the Republic of Bashkortostan. Moscow and St. Petersburg took seventh and eighth place, respectively. The Novosibirsk region took ninth place, the Voronezh region closes the top ten.

In general, at least 300 million people on Earth face anxiety disorders (AD). Panic attacks, anxiety without adequate reasons, fears – all these, as experts note, are signs of TD. The increase in patients with TR has been especially observed over the past few years, starting with the Covid lockdown. Some sources are beginning to call this trend an epidemic of the 21st century.

Diagnosis of anxiety disorders is difficult because no objective biomarkers exist and is typically based on symptoms that typically must be present for at least six months or longer than would be expected in a particular situation. A person with TR does not always understand that he is sick. Because of this, prescribed therapy may help relieve symptoms, but not treat the cause.

In Russia, a special portal “Territory without anxiety” has been created to help patients. Statistics on passing HADS tests (after passing a series of questions, a person is shown a scale of his anxiety and depression – Ed.) shows that more than 2/3 of portal visitors have an increased level of anxiety and more than half of visitors have an increased level of depressive mood. These are conditions that need therapy.

“I never tire of repeating that for patients with TR, therapy should be comprehensive. But the first step should always be pharmacotherapy (for example, Afobazole Retard, etc.). Because such drugs work to restore the functions of the nervous system without interfering with the internal processes of neurons. Any therapy should be rational and, if possible, aimed at eliminating the cause, and not at muffling the symptoms,” said Elena Sergeevna Akarachkova, MD, Neurologist, President of the international society “Stress under Control”.

This is not only about the internal state of a person, but also the economic burden.

Direct costs for the treatment of anxiety disorders in the healthcare system alone account for more than 2% of the total budget, and if we speak on a national scale, anxiety disorders “cost” our country almost a quarter of a percentage point of total GDP (0.22%). These are colossal direct costs, not to mention indirect ones.

According to medical sources, TD often occurs along with other mental disorders, particularly depression, which can occur in as many as 60% of people with TD. Therefore, if you have increased anxiety, you should visit a psychotherapist who will conduct a diagnosis and, if necessary, select the necessary treatment.