Tech in anxiety treatment

There are a number of startups in the anxiety space, working on both hardware and software for its management

- BARBARA JACQUELYN SAHAKIAN & CHRISTELLE LANGLEY

Anxiety disorders are the world's most common mental health problem. But it isn't always easy to get professional help, with long waiting lists in many countries.

Worldwide, only about 28 per cent of people with anxiety receive treatment. The figure is similar for the UK, and in the US about 37 per cent receive treatment. This is due to a number of factors such as lack of resources, including mental health staff, and stigma associated with mental health problems.

But if you're struggling to get help, there are things you could try at home in the meantime—including some novel technologies. To understand how they work, let's first take a look at how anxiety is expressed in the brain and body.

The symptoms of anxiety are cognitive and emotional as well as physiological. They can include trouble concentrating and making decisions, feeling irritable or tense and having heart palpitations or shaking. Trouble sleeping and feelings of panic or impending danger are also common.

These symptoms often start in childhood and adolescence. Sadly, it frequently continues into adulthood, especially if untreated.

There are many genetic and environmental factors involved in the development of anxiety. These can include competition and pressure at school, university or work or financial worries and lack of job security. Social isolation and loneliness are also common factors, often a result of retirement, home working or stemming from bullying or maltreatment in childhood.