Summary: A study exploring “concept creep” suggests that, with increased mental health awareness following the COVID-19 pandemic, the concepts of “anxiety” and “depression” are broadening.
The study revealed that, contrary to expectations of less emotionally intense use, these terms have taken on more severe connotations over the past five decades. This shift is driven by increased association of these words with each other and with illness-related terms, like “disorder” and “symptom”.
While raising awareness is crucial, the study warns of potential risks of over-pathologizing everyday mood states.
Key Facts:
- A study of over 800,000 psychology articles and a corpus of everyday American English showed that “anxiety” and “depression” are now associated with more severe emotions than in previous decades.
- The words “anxiety” and “depression” increasingly appear together and alongside illness-related words, indicating a growing perception of them as clinical phenomena.
- While the understanding and awareness of mental health issues have expanded, there’s a risk of over-pathologizing everyday mood states, leading to potential over-diagnosis and over-treatment.