First, there is an epidemic of anxiety among adolescents and young adults. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly one-third of adolescents have had an anxiety disorder at least once in their lifetime. Anxiety is not only prevalent, it is increasing: anxiety among eighteen- to twenty-five-year-olds increased from 8 percent in 2008 to 15 percent in 2018 (that is, even before the pandemic).
