Despite a lingering pandemic, most people in the US say they feel less stressed or anxious this year compared to earlier in the pandemic, according to a new survey by 23andMe.
In this third holiday under the shadow of COVID-19, people appear to have adjusted to the new normal and are more optimistic about their health. Many have returned to their traditional holiday celebrations, according to the survey.
Stress and Anxiety remains
However, about 14 percent say they still feel stressed, and more than 11 percent said they’re anxious about the future. And about 77 percent of those surveyed said they still feel some sort of negativity around their health.
But stress levels have significantly dropped since the beginning of the pandemic, with only about 14 percent of those surveyed saying they were stressed, compared to more than 47 percent in 2020. Similarly, only about 5 percent said they were more depressed this year than last, compared to almost 32 percent in 2020.
Beyond this survey, 23andMe has done extensive research on the genetics of depression and anxiety, which has downstream impacts on health. Anxiety disorders like depression and anxiety are very common. Up to three-in-ten people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with one during their lifetime, according to prevalence statistics from the National Institute of Mental Health. Researchers believe that genetics combine with other factors to influence how likely an individual is to develop an anxiety disorder.
A focus on health
The survey commissioned by 23andMe and conducted by SurveyMonkey on U.S. adults in early November, found that health is understandably a focus for many people. Almost half of the respondents who said they’re focused on their health also said they planned to make healthy lifestyle changes in the new year with a focus on their diet and weight.
Many of those surveyed said the pandemic had impacted their waistline in the last year, with about 12 percent saying they gained weight.
People are also feeling less isolated this year. Perhaps contributing to that shift in optimism is a renewed connection to family and friends. The percentage of respondents who feel less connected to friends and family dropped from 48 percent in 2020 to just 5 percent in 2022. The survey showed a similar drop in the percentage of people saying they were depressed, going from 32 percent in 2020 to just 5 percent this year.
More family bonding this holiday season
Lockdowns meant that in the first year of the pandemic, most people said they’d canceled family holiday plans, preferring to stay at home. But this year, that has shifted. Only about 17 percent of people said they would not be having a traditional holiday this year, compared to 62 percent in 2020.
More than 40 percent of those surveyed said they’re returning to their traditional holiday plans this year, and one in five people said they never changed their traditional celebration throughout the whole pandemic.
This is in stark contrast to 2020 when 41 percent of those surveyed said they weren’t traveling for the holidays, and 34 percent said their friends and family also didn’t plan to visit them.
