Adolescents have a high chance of experiencing anxiety if they use social media too often and watch a lot of TV. These factors can help predict how severe symptoms of anxiety can be. The study's findings were originally published in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry.
"These findings suggest that one way to help teens manage anxiety could be to help them limit the amount of time they spend in front of screens," study researcher Patricia Conrod from the University of Montreal in Canada, told a news portal.
Researchers also observed anxiety symptoms reduced when adolescents reduced the amount of social media use and TV viewing. "It appears that computer use is uniquely associated to increases in anxiety, potentially in relation to using the computer for homework activities, but this needs further research," study author Elroy Boers told a news portal.
4,000 Canadian teenagers from age 12 to 16 were part of the study. Participants were asked information on how much time they spent on social media and the TV. They were also asked which types of screen time activity they preferred - social media, television, video gaming and computer use. The team also examined self-reported questionnaires on various anxiety symptoms.
"While our results are based on observational research design, the nature of statistical approach that we used to test possible causal effects robustly controlled for any potential common underlying vulnerability to high levels of screen time and anxiety," Conrod told a news portal.
There are various factors that can trigger anxiety. A study, published in the Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, reveals not getting enough sleep could trigger anxiety. "We found that people in this study have some tendencies to have thoughts get stuck in their heads, and their elevated negative thinking makes it difficult for them to disengage with the negative stimuli that we exposed them to," Meredith Coles from the Binghamton University told a news portal. Adding, "While other people may be able to receive negative information and move on, the participants had trouble ignoring it."
Lavender has been found to be an effective way to help treat anxiety. Lavender aromatherapy could reduce pre-operation anxiety to modest levels in some surgery patients. "Preoperative anxiety is associated with the increased use of narcotics and anaesthetics, prolonged duration of hospitalization, and reduced ability to fight infection and comprehend information about surgery," Ashutosh Kacker, Managing Director of Weill Cornell Medical College, told a news portal. Adding," "Given the simplicity, safety, and cost-effectiveness of aromatherapy, healthcare providers should consider its use for managing this common problem."
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