Explaining the Youth Anxiety Epidemic: Towards a New Social Theory of Anxiety.

Although it is widely accepted within the philosophy of psychiatry that anxiety is broadly a function of uncertainty (Barlow 2002), there is an ongoing debate about what this uncertainty regards. Physical uncertainty theories argue that anxiety's function is to minimise uncertainty about physical threats (Nesse & Klass 1994), whereas social theories argue that anxiety's function is to minimise uncertainty about one's social rank (Baumeister & Tice 1990). Making progress in this debate is not only philosophically important, as it may allow us to adjudicate between these theories of anxiety, but it is also essential for the development of effective clinical anxiety treatments. My project will progress this debate by assessing which theory can best explain our empirical data, specifically the youth anxiety epidemic, which is represented by an 8.3% increase in reported anxiety in UK young people (14-24) since 2000 (APMS NHS 2014).

My central research question is: can physical or social uncertainty theories explain the youth anxiety epidemic? I will argue that while physical theories cannot do so, an improved social theory could. Therefore, I will construct an improved social uncertainty theory which proposes a novel cognitive mechanism that regulates anxiety. I will appeal to this mechanism to explain the youth anxiety epidemic, showing how social media photo-sharing platforms contribute to youth anxiety.

To test the predictions my proposed mechanism makes, I will conduct empirical research, including cross cultural comparative studies examining the age of anxiety onset in societies where social media is not used in youth, as the onset should be later in these cases. My philosophical work will not only allow us to make valuable progress in the anxiety debate but also has the potential to inform the development of psychiatric methods of prevention and intervention for
anxiety in young people.

My Philosophy MA, awarded a Distinction (76%), has well prepared me to undertake this project. I wrote my dissertation on the anxiety disorder agoraphobia, achieving 82%. I was also awarded the Monsignor Arthur H. Ryan Prize for graduating top of my BA Philosophy cohort.

My supervisor, Birmingham's Lisa Bortolotti, is a leading philosopher of psychiatry, and her expertise will be vital for my project. Birmingham's Institute of Mental Health (BIMH) and my co-supervisor, Matthew
Broome, will also be invaluable resources, providing expertise to assist me with my empirical research. My work will also add to the wealth of BIMH's research into youth mental health.