The psychologist named the reason for the decrease in the level of anxiety of Russians in 2023

People are increasingly concerned about everyday rather than global things

The passing year for the country’s residents has become half as alarming as the previous one. In addition, concerns about the foreign policy situation began to gradually be replaced by everyday and everyday worries. People are worried about natural disasters, abortion initiatives, rising prices, stray dogs and scooters.

Experts “measured” the level of anxiety of compatriots based on an analysis of materials in the media and posts on social networks and came to the conclusion that in 2023 the average total anxiety index decreased by half compared to last year (more precisely, from 21394.68 to 11754.02) . The authors of the study believe that the main reason is the population’s “getting used to” new realities and the “routinization” of military events. The drop in anxiety in both capitals has become quite sharp: for example, in Moscow the anxiety index fell five times compared to last year, and the traditionally “gloomy” St. Petersburg for the first time in many years did not find itself in the top three, but took only sixth place.

This year is noticeably different from the past in that the events in Ukraine have ceased to be the only topic that determines high anxiety in different parts of the country. Compatriots began to worry noticeably less about this. If last year this topic was top in 83 regions of the country, then in 2023 it will be in 52 regions. At the same time, in 15 regions sabotage took first place among indicators of anxiety, and in another 13 regions they were most worried about natural disasters (fires and floods).

What surprised the experts most was that in many regions the “top three” among the causes of anxiety included quite non-standard things: for example, in 18 federal subjects people are very worried about attacks by stray dogs, in 14 the population is worried about intestinal poisoning and alcohol poisoning, and residents 10 regions are very worried about legislative initiatives regarding abortion.

But the topic of sanctions and the departure of foreign companies from Russia, which was at the top in 2022, has practically disappeared from the current agenda in 2023. The topic of partial mobilization, which was also among the top causes of concern in 2022, worried people much less in 2023. But many people in regions, especially those bordering Europe, are very upset by the difficulties associated with traveling abroad. In large cities, people are worried about scooters. Rising prices are also a serious cause for concern for many residents of the country. In addition, many people are concerned about the situation in civil aviation and household gas explosions. In the regions of Central Russia in the summer there was a surge of anxiety associated… with the invasion of the gypsy moth. But the topic of Covid is almost never found among Russians’ phobias.

“This year, indeed, has given Russians less reason to worry than the last,” clinical psychologist Alexei Yezhov told MK. – And yet the number of people with depressive disorders today is noticeably higher than it was, say, three years ago. There are patients who randomly take a variety of antidepressants and have ceased to imagine how they can cope without them. Patients with phobias and anxiety disorders became more common. But the human psyche is designed in such a way that most people get used to unpleasant events, come to terms with them – and try to somehow survive. This is exactly what we are seeing now. The events have not gone away, we just changed our attitude towards them and began to switch to some other things that make us uncomfortable: prices, stray dogs, abortion bans, etc. From this point of view, the anxiety rating is very indicative.