Anxious Times: Social Change and Fear

Catalog description

Anxiety disorders are among the most common psychiatric disorders in the US. Although over the last 150 years many have proclaimed to be entering an abrupt new age of anxiety, the prevalence of anxiety appears to have been increasing steadily over time. Anxiety is also treated more frequently by physicians, suggesting it is taken more seriously as an illness. This class will explore the rise of anxiety as the signature 21st century disorder. We will focus on how scientists have understood anxiety; its place relative to other psychiatric symptoms and disorders, such as depression; and what social factors have increased its prevalence. Along the way we will discuss the evolutionary dimensions of anxiety, as well as public beliefs about anxiety and its cultural significance.