Human Anxiety Research Articles

6523 Kisspeptin Administration Does Not Induce Anxiety in Humans

Abstract Disclosure: E.G. Mills: None. L. Thurston: None. L. Yang: None. S. Suladze: None. T. Hunjan: None. M. Phylactou: None. B. Patel: None. S.A. Clarke: None. A.J. Shah: None. C. Izzi-Engbeaya: None. J. Tsoutsouki: None. P. Bech: None. N. Ertl: None. L. Demetriou: None. M.B. Wall: None. D. Goldmeier: None. A. Abbara: None. A.N. Comninos: None. W.S. Dhillo: None. Background: The neuropeptide kisspeptin is a critical endogenous activator of the reproductive system. Due to its key role in regulating reproductive and behavioural processes, there has been escalating interest in targeting kisspeptin-pathways to treat reproductive and psychosexual disorders. However, conflicting evidence from pre-clinical animal models proposes that kisspeptin can have an anxiolytic, anxiogenic or have no effects on anxiety. Given the rapid development of kisspeptin-based therapeutics, it is important to clarify kisspeptin’s effects on anxiety in humans. Herein, we report the largest study examining the effects of kisspeptin on psychometric measures of anxiety and circulating cortisol levels in humans. Methods: Ninety-three eugonadal participants (n=29 healthy men, n=32 men with low sexual desire, n=32 women with low sexual desire) completed a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, crossover study. Participants attended twice: once for intravenous infusion of kisspeptin-54 (1nmol/kg/h) over 75mins and for a rate-matched placebo. Blood sampling took place at 15-minute intervals from -30 to 75mins to measure circulating kisspeptin, LH, testosterone and cortisol [in men] and oestradiol [in women]. The validated ‘State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) Y2-Trait’ was completed prior to the infusions to exclude abnormal anxiety traits, with all scores within normal limits. Participants also completed the ‘STAI Y1-State’ before and prior to the end of the infusions to assess for any dynamic effects of the infusions on anxiety. Results: Ninety-three participants (mean age ±SD 30.9±8.7yrs, BMI 24.0±3.7kg/m2) completed the study. Intravenous kisspeptin significantly increased serum LH to similar levels previously described using this administration protocol, confirming that the dose was biologically active (P<0.001). Importantly, state anxiety was unaltered by kisspeptin, compared to placebo (mean difference in ‘STAI Y1-State’ scores during the infusions: kisspeptin -0.03±8.11, placebo 0.77±8.08, P=0.43). Moreover, kisspeptin had no effect on circulating cortisol compared to placebo during the 75minute study period (P=0.92). As expected, kisspeptin had no significant effects on downstream sex-steroid levels during the 75minute study period, thereby excluding these as confounders. Discussion: This is the largest study demonstrating that a biologically active dose of kisspeptin to healthy volunteers and patients with psychosexual disorders does not affect psychometric measures of anxiety and associated circulating cortisol levels. Given that animal studies have yielded conflicting results, this provides important clinical data and reassurance that kisspeptin administration in humans does not induce anxiety and so informs the rapid development of kisspeptin-based therapeutics for reproductive and psychosexual disorders. Presentation: 6/3/2024

The elevated open platform stress suppresses excitatory synaptic transmissionin the layer V anterior cingulate cortex

There are various forms of stress including; physical, psychological and social stress. Exposure to physical stress can lead to physical sensations (e.g. hyperalgesia) and negative emotions including anxiety and depression in animals and humans. Recently, our studies in mice have shown that acute physical stress induced by the elevated open platform (EOP) can provoke long-lasting mechanical hypersensitivity. This effect appears to be related to activity in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) at the synaptic level. Indeed, EOP exposure induces synaptic plasticity in layer II/III pyramidal neurons from the ACC. However, it is still unclear whether or not EOP exposure alters intrinsic properties and synaptic transmission in layer V pyramidal neurons. This is essential because these neurons are known to be a primary output to subcortical structures which may ultimately impact the behavioral stress response.Here, we studied both intrinsic properties and excitatory/inhibitory synaptic transmission by using whole-cell patch-clamp method in brain slice preparations. The EOP exposure did not change intrinsic properties including resting membrane potentials and action potentials. In contrast, EOP exposure suppressed the frequency of miniature and spontaneous excitatory synaptic transmission with an alteration of kinetics of AMPA/GluK receptors. EOP exposure also reduced evoked synaptic transmission induced by electrical stimulation. Furthermore, we investigated projection-selective responses of the mediodorsal thalamus to the layer V ACC neurons. EOP exposure produced short-term depression in excitatory synaptic transmission on thalamo-ACC projections. These results suggest that the EOP stress provokes abnormal excitatory synaptic transmission in layer V pyramidal neurons of the ACC.

Apakah Masuk Akal untuk Berdoa: Kajian Filsafat Agama

Human anxiety about life leads to a prayer ritual for religious people. Praying is considered an effective way to realize dreams, but there is also an assumption that it is unreasonable. The purpose of this study is to present a perspective on prayer. The research methodology uses literature studies to support the achievement of research objectives. The results of the study are that prayer is not a shortcut to solving problems that require mastery of all relevant facts. Someone who prays only with the aim of using God to solve their own problems, means violating the basic principles of all social and moral relationships. Prayer has a great influence on humans psychologically, such as being able to calm, soothe and convince themselves of the life choices that have been decided to be lived. The essence of prayer is an extension of togetherness and community concern.

Apakah Masuk Akal untuk Berdoa: Kajian Filsafat Agama

Human anxiety about life leads to a prayer ritual for religious people. Praying is considered an effective way to realize dreams, but there is also an assumption that it is unreasonable. The purpose of this study is to present a perspective on prayer. The research methodology uses literature studies to support the achievement of research objectives. The results of the study are that prayer is not a shortcut to solving problems that require mastery of all relevant facts. Someone who prays only with the aim of using God to solve their own problems, means violating the basic principles of all social and moral relationships. Prayer has a great influence on humans psychologically, such as being able to calm, soothe and convince themselves of the life choices that have been decided to be lived. The essence of prayer is an extension of togetherness and community concern.

Apakah Masuk Akal Untuk Berdoa: Kajian Filsafat Agama

Human anxiety about life leads to a prayer ritual for religious people. Praying is considered an effective way to realize dreams, but there is also an assumption that it is unreasonable. The purpose of this study is to present a perspective on prayer. The research methodology uses literature studies to support the achievement of research objectives. The results of the study are that prayer is not a shortcut to solving problems that require mastery of all relevant facts. Someone who prays only with the aim of using God to solve their own problems, means violating the basic principles of all social and moral relationships. Prayer has a great influence on humans psychologically, such as being able to calm, soothe and convince themselves of the life choices that have been decided to be lived. The essence of prayer is an extension of togetherness and community concern.

Fecal microbiome and functional prediction profiles of horses with and without crib-biting behavior: A comparative study

Crib-biting is a stereotyped oral behavior with poorly understood etiology and pathophysiology. The relationship between the gut microbiome and brain function has been described in behavioral disorders such as schizophrenia, depression and anxiety in humans. In horses, studies of behavioral problems and the microbiome are very limited. This study aimed to characterize the fecal microbiome and the predicted functional profile of horses with and without aerophagia. Fecal samples were collected from 12 Colombian Creole Horses of both sexes, divided into two groups: group 1, composed of six horses with crib-biting (3 females and 3 males), average body weight of 330 ± 10 kg, age of 7.0 ± 1.2 years and body condition score (BCS) of 5/9 ± 1 and group 2, consisting of six horses without crib-biting (3 females and 3 males), average body weight of 335 ± 5 kg, age 6.5 ± 1 years and BCS of 6/9 ± 1. From each horse in both groups fecal total DNA was obtained and 16S ribosomal RNA gene amplicons were sequenced to characterize the bacterial community structure. Community structure and differential abundance analyses revealed significant differences between the two conditions (p < 0.05). Specifically, the fecal microbiota at the family level in crib-biting horses, showing a decrease in Bacteroidales and an increase in Bacillota and Clostridia, differed from that of healthy horses without crib-biting, consistent with findings from previous studies. Furthermore, metagenome prediction suggests metabolic profile changes in bacterial communities between both conditions in horses. Further studies are required to validate the role of the microbiota-gut-brain axis in the etiology of crib-biting and other abnormal and stereotyped behaviors.

Single-dose 1cp-LSD administration for canine anxiety: a pilot study.

Anxiety affects 14-20% of dogs. Pharmacological treatments often fail. Psychedelics have shown to be useful for anxiety and depression in humans, but their veterinary use remains unexplored. We aimed to determine the effects of low-dose 1-cyclopropionyl-d-lysergic acid diethylamide (1cp-LSD) administered in a single dose to a dog, to observe the effect and establish the safety of the substance. The patient was a 13-year-old female dog, weighing 13kg, mixed breed, and spayed. A total of 5µg was administered orally, equivalent to 0.38µg/kg. The animal has had a history of separation related behavioral problems throughout her life. To objectively assess the degree of anxiety in the dog, a validated scale was utilized. The trial was scheduled at the house where the animal lives. The owner was present throughout the experience. Informed consent was obtained prior to the assay. The trial began at 12:15 p.m. on January 10, 2024, lasting for 5 and a half hours. The response to anxiety-inducing stimuli was equally anxious during the first two hours. From that point onwards, a significant change in the animal's behavior was observed, with no signs/mild signs of anxiety. The trial concluded without any adverse effects on the animal. The patient did not show signs of having a psychedelic experience. This is the first time that a study of this nature has been conducted and reported in the canine species. 1cp-LSD proved to be safe and exerted the desired effect on the animal's behavior, significantly reducing the patient's anxiety.

Kisspeptin does not induce anxiety in humans

Kisspeptin does not induce anxiety in humans

Artificial Intelligence dan (Persoalan tentang) Pekerjaan: Sebuah Tinjauan Filosofis dari Perspektif Vita Activa Hannah Arendt

Artificial Intelligence AI is the result of innovation and the proficiency of human technology. Technology like (AI) has the power to change humans including in terms of ability, expertise, time and handwork. This is the dilemmatic aspect of the emergence of AI. This article aims to examine the real technological developments and human innovations in AI and their impact on human handwork as a model of self-realization. The author analyzed this problem using a literature review method related to the Vita Activa concept initiated by Hannah Arendt. Starting from Arendt's criticism of the devaluation of the value of human action by the presence of AI, this research will show that active human involvement in handiwork still has the value of realizing the existence of human abilities. Thus, amidst human anxiety about the presence of AI, Hannah Arendt affirms the importance of human involvement in the public sphere.

Elemental and configural representation of a conditioned context

A context can be conceptualized as a stable arrangement of elements or as the sum of single elements. Both configural and elemental representations play a role in associative processes. This study aimed to explore the respective contributions of these two representations of a context in the acquisition of conditioned anxiety in humans. Virtual reality (VR) can be an ecologically valid tool to investigate context-related mechanisms, yet the influence of the sense of presence within the virtual environment remains unclear. Forty-eight healthy individuals participated in a VR-based context conditioning wherein electric shocks (unconditioned stimulus, US) were unpredictably delivered in one virtual office (CTX+), but not in the other (CTX-). During the test phase, nine elements from each context were presented singularly. We found a cluster of participants, who exhibited heightened anticipation of the US for anxiety-related elements as compared to the other group. In contrast to their clear elemental representation, these individuals showed diminished discriminative responses between the two context’s configurations. Discriminative responses to the contexts were boosted in those individuals, who had a weaker elemental representation. Importantly, the individual sense of presence significantly influenced the conditioned responses. These findings align with the dual-representation view of context and provide insights into the role of presence in eliciting (conditioned) anxiety responses.

Hyperexcitation of the glutamatergic neurons in lateral hypothalamus induced by chronic pain contributes to depression-like behavior and learning and memory impairment in male mice

Chronic pain can induce mood disorders and cognitive dysfunctions, such as anxiety, depression, and learning and memory impairment in humans. However, the specific neural network involved in anxiety- and depression-like behaviors and learning and memory impairment caused by chronic pain remains poorly understood. In this study, behavioral test results showed that chronic pain induced anxiety- and depression-like behaviors, and learning and memory impairment in male mice. c-Fos immunofluorescence and fiber photometry recording showed that glutamatergic neurons in the LH of mice with chronic pain were selectively activated. Next, the glutamatergic neurons of LH in normal mice were activated using optogenetic and chemogenetic methods, which recapitulates some of the depressive-like behaviors, as well as memory impairment, but not anxiety-like behavior. Finally, inhibition of glutamatergic neurons in the LH of mice with chronic pain, effectively relieved anxiety- and depression-like behaviors and learning and memory impairment. Taken together, our findings suggest that hyperexcitation of glutamatergic neurons in the LH is involved in depression-like behavior and learning and memory impairment induced by chronic pain.

The use of neuroleptics, sedatives and anesthetics for anxiolytic therapy in animals

An important area for improving antidepressant treatment is the expansion of the indications for neuroleptics, anesthetics and sedatives. All these drugs have pronounced neurotropic effects. The aim of our work is to study the published scientifc evidence on the potential of neuroleptics, anesthetics and sedatives for anxiolytic therapy. A systematic literature review was used to search for publications on the topic of the study. The PubMed database (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) was used to search for scientifc articles. The literature data indicates that ketamine is used to treat recurrent anxiety in both humans and animals. It provides rapid and sustained relief of anxiety symptoms in a variety of its clinical presentations. The anxiolytic effect occurs within the frst 12 hours after administration and remains effective for 1 to 2 weeks. The anxiolytic effect of ketamine is due to its effect on hippocampal neurotropic factor activity. Diazepam can signifcantly reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms as well as neuroinflammation in brain-injured mice. It causes a dose-dependent increase in motor activity. In combination with metformin, diazepam is the preferred treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus in stressed animals. Intermittent use of diazepam is useful to avoid the development of physical dependence when the drug is used for a long period of time. Acepromazine is promising to be used for anxiolytic effect in animals. A combined protocol with acepromazine signifcantly reduced signs of stress, anxiety and aggression during veterinary visits and had an anxiolytic effect in dogs. Acepromazine reduces the negative effects of transport stress in wild ungulates. Dexmedetomidine is used for sedation in both human and veterinary medicine. This drug is a promising candidate for the experimental treatment of stress-related diseases such as anxiety disorders or post-traumatic stress disorder. We believe that further research in this area should be conducted in controlled comparative studies to determine the optimal doses and duration of administration of potential anxiolytics, considering the species, age, sex, physiological state and other relevant clinical parameters of the animals studied. Therefore, systematic and detailed studies will help us not only to understand the effectiveness, but also to provide safe and individualized treatment. This research can improve our understanding of the use of anxiolytics in veterinary practice, which is of key importance for improving the quality of animal welfare. In our opinion, the use of anesthetics, neuroleptics and sedatives, which are now widely used for sedation or general anesthesia, opens new possibilities for the treatment of behavioral and anxiety disorders in animals. Key words: anxiety, veterinary medicine, neuroleptics, sedatives, ketamine, acepromazine, diazepam, medetomidine.

Psilocybin induces acute anxiety and changes in amygdalar phosphopeptides independently from the 5-HT2A receptor

Psilocybin, and its metabolite psilocin, induces psychedelic effects through activation of the 5-HT2A receptor. Psilocybin has been proposed as a treatment for depression and anxiety but sometimes induces anxiety in humans. An understanding of mechanisms underlying the anxiety response will help to better develop therapeutic prospects of psychedelics. In the current study, psilocybin induced an acute increase in anxiety in behavioral paradigms in mice. Importantly, pharmacological blocking of the 5-HT2A receptor attenuates psilocybin-induced head twitch response, a behavioral proxy for the psychedelic response, but does not rescue psilocybin's effect on anxiety-related behavior. Phosphopeptide analysis in the amygdala uncovered signal transduction pathways that are dependent or independent of the 5-HT2A receptor. Furthermore, presynaptic proteins are specifically involved in psilocybin-induced acute anxiety. These insights into how psilocybin may induce short-term anxiety are important for understanding how psilocybin may best be used in the clinical framework.

South Korea: Impact of The Ukraine and Russia conflict

The specter of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict looms large, casting a long and unsettling shadow across the tapestry of the global economy. Its chilling tendrils reach even the most seemingly insulated corners, ensnaring nations like South Korea in its vortex. This vibrant Asian tiger, deeply entwined in the intricate web of global trade, finds itself thrust into the maelstrom of this geopolitical quagmire. The economic ramifications, far from being mere ripples, have unfurled in a multifaceted storm, presenting a formidable challenge to the nation's economic stability and demanding a nuanced and multifaceted response. At the heart of this economic tempest lies the intricate web of financial sanctions woven by a resolute coalition of nations against Russia. These measures, meticulously crafted to sever the arteries of the Russian war machine and isolate its economy, have sent tremors through the very foundations of global finance. Traditional trade and investment flows, once predictable currents, have become turbulent eddies, swirling with uncertainty and risk aversion. South Korea, with its extensive economic tentacles reaching across the dynamic landscapes of Europe and Asia, has inevitably felt the tremors of this financial earthquake. Navigating this altered landscape, where familiar landmarks have shifted and once-reliable harbors now harbor hidden shoals, presents a significant challenge to the nation's financial institutions and policymakers. The delicate dance of mitigating potential exposure to the unfolding economic turbulence requires a deftness of footwork and a keen eye for the ever-shifting sands of the global financial market. Further compounding the economic woes is the pronounced surge in the prices of vital commodities, particularly energy and agricultural products. Both Russia and Ukraine, hitherto considered reliable bastions of resource abundance, have seen their production and export capacities crippled by the conflict. This disruption has sent shockwaves through international markets, triggering a vertiginous spiral in the prices of these essential resources. South Korea, heavily reliant on imported energy and foodstuffs, finds itself on the receiving end of this price escalation. Inflated import costs threaten to erode the very foundations of consumer purchasing power, casting a long shadow over economic growth and raising the specter of potent inflationary pressures. The specter of empty shelves and rising prices haunts Korean households, adding a layer of human anxiety to the broader economic quandary. Finally, the conflict has thrown international supply chains into disarray. The delicate arteries of global trade, once pulsing with the lifeblood of commerce, have been severely constricted by the disruption of land and sea routes, further exacerbated by the sanctions imposed upon Russia. South Korea, intricately woven into the fabric of these globalized production and trade networks, finds itself grappling with the ramifications of these disruptions. Delays in the delivery of raw materials and manufactured components threaten to hobble its own industrial output and hamper its export competitiveness. The very engines of the Korean economic juggernaut sputter and cough, their rhythm disrupted by the absence of vital parts sourced from across the globe. The anxieties of factory owners and the concerns of everyday workers alike paint a poignant picture of the human cost of this economic maelstrom.

The Anxiolytic Potential of Citrus Aurantium Essential Oil: A focused critical review

Anxiety disorders rank among the most common mental health issues globally, prompting extensive research into both traditional and alternative treatments. In this context, Citrus aurantium essential oil (bitter orange) has attracted scientific interest due to its anxiolytic properties. This essential oil's pharmacological effects are attributed to its active components, which interact with key neurotransmitter systems, including the serotoninergic and GABAergic, to exert anxiolytic, antidepressant, and sedative effects. Recent studies have explored these properties in various models, demonstrating Citrus aurantium's ability to alleviate anxiety-like behaviors in animal models and manage preoperative anxiety in humans. Despite promising preliminary findings, research on Citrus aurantium essential oil's efficacy and safety in anxiety treatment presents considerable variability in study design, methodologies, and outcomes. This review aims to synthesize current evidence on the anxiolytic effects of Citrus aurantium essential oil, highlighting its potential therapeutic applications and the need for further research to clarify its efficacy and safety in clinical settings. By critically evaluating existing literature, this paper contributes to a deeper understanding of Citrus aurantium essential oil as a potential non-pharmacological intervention for anxiety disorders, underscoring the importance of continued investigation in this promising area of complementary and alternative medicine.

Effects of arginine vasopressin on human anxiety and associations with sex, dose, and V1a-receptor genotype.

Arginine vasopressin (AVP) has dose- and sex-specific effects on social behavior, and variation in social responses is related to variation in the V1a receptor gene in animals. Whether such complexity also characterizes AVP effects on anxiety in humans, or whether V1a genotype is related to anxiety and/or AVP's ability to affect it, remains to be determined. To test if AVP has dose-dependent effects on anxiety in men and/or women and if a particular allele within the RS3 promoter region of the V1a receptor gene is associated with anxiety and/or AVP effects on anxiety. Men and women self-administered 20IU or 40IU intranasal arginine vasopressin (AVP) and placebo in a double-blind, within-subjects design, and State (SA) and Trait (TA) anxiety were measured 60min later. PCR was used to identify allelic variation within the RS3 region of the V1a receptor gene. AVP decreased SA in men across both doses, whereas only the lower dose had the same effect, across sexes, in individuals who carry at least one copy of a previously identified "risk" allele in the RS3 promoter of the V1a receptor gene. Additionally, after placebo, women who carried a copy of the allele displayed lower TA than women who did not, and AVP acutely increased TA scores in those women. Exogenous AVP has modest sex- and dose-dependent effects on anxiety/affect in humans. Further, allelic variation in the V1a promoter appears associated with responsiveness to AVP's effects and, at least in women, to stable levels of anxiety/affect.

Cerebral Benefits Induced by Electrical Muscle Stimulation: Evidence from a Human and Rat Study.

Physical exercise (EX) is well established for its positive impact on brain health. However, conventional EX may not be feasible for certain individuals. In this regard, this study explores electromyostimulation (EMS) as a potential alternative for enhancing cognitive function. Conducted on both human participants and rats, the study involved two sessions of EMS applied to the quadriceps with a duration of 30 min at one-week intervals. The human subjects experienced assessments of cognition and mood, while the rats underwent histological and biochemical analyses on the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and quadriceps. Our findings indicated that EMS enhanced executive functions and reduced anxiety in humans. In parallel, our results from the animal studies revealed an elevation in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), specifically in the hippocampus. Intriguingly, this increase was not associated with heightened neuronal activity or cerebral hemodynamics; instead, our data point towards a humoral interaction from muscle to brain. While no evidence of increased muscle and circulating BDNF or FNDC5/irisin pathways could be found, our data highlight lactate as a bridging signaling molecule of the muscle-brain crosstalk following EMS. In conclusion, our results suggest that EMS could be an effective alternative to conventional EX for enhancing both brain health and cognitive function.

The longevity of a poem is what counts: An interview with Menka Shivdasani

ABSTRACT Menka Shivdasani is a distinguished new-generation poet from Mumbai who has profoundly influenced and changed Indian poetry in English by giving it a new direction with her writing craft. In this wide-ranging interview, Shivdasani shares details of her childhood, educational background, and life as a journalist and poet. It touches on the themes of her poetry dealing with urban life, alienation, human anxiety, disillusionment, ecological concerns, love and loss, claustrophobic domesticity, and conflict between tradition and modernity with specific references to some of her major works: Nirvana at Ten Rupees (1990), Stet (2021), Safe House (2015), and Frazil (2018). The interview also explores the role of feisty women in fighting against hostile forces and their ability to define and make themselves heard in male-dominated society. In addition to her suggestions for aspiring poets, the discussion extends to the influences of other literary writers on her and their observation of her poetry.

Trait sensitivity to stress and cognitive bias processes in fish: A brief overview.

Like other animals, fish have unique personalities that can affect their cognition and responses to environmental stressors. These individual personality differences are often referred to as "behavioural syndromes" or "stress coping styles" and can include personality traits such as boldness, shyness, aggression, exploration, locomotor activity, and sociability. For example, bolder or proactive fish may be more likely to take risks and present lower hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal/interrenal axis reactivity as compared to shy or reactive individuals. Likewise, learning and memory differ between fish personalities. Reactive or shy individuals tend to have faster learning and better association recall with aversive stimuli, while proactive or bold individuals tend to learn more quickly when presented with appetitive incentives. However, the influence of personality on cognitive processes other than cognitive achievement in fish has been scarcely explored. Cognitive bias tests have been employed to investigate the interplay between emotion and cognition in both humans and animals. Fish present cognitive bias processes (CBP) in which fish's interpretation of stimuli could be influenced by its current emotional state and open to environmental modulation. However, no study in fish has explored whether CBP, like in other species, can be interpreted as long-lasting traits and whether other individual characteristics may explain its variation. We hold the perspective that CBP could serve as a vulnerability factor for the onset, persistence, and recurrence of stress-related disorders. Therefore, studying fish's CBP as a state or trait and its interactions with individual variations may be valuable in future efforts to enhance our understanding of anxiety and stress neurobiology in animal models and humans.

A Narrative Review on Human Anxiety Detection in Social Media using Natural Language Processing

Currently, with the boundless proliferation of social media platforms, it is undoubted that the world is in the middle of a significant phase of social media evolution. These virtually created user environments allow users to create, share, and interact with content. Most people who interact with social media make a pitch to share their mood, tension, feelings, and behaviour unhesitatingly with the community. Mostly, these data can be taken as a mirror that reflects the mental health status of a person, such as stress, anxiety, and suffering. With increased social media penetration, people tend to share their disturbances rather than suffer alone. Anxiety can be taken as an ordinary human emotion which prepares the human body for potentially vulnerable situations. It would be beneficial if there were any system that could predict if a person is anxious before going through a critical situation that would have to be clinically treated. This study is a narrative review of anxiety detection over the past ten years. Furthermore, this qualitative study discusses an overview of anxiety detection using Natural Language Processing (NLP) and key concepts highlighting emerging trends. We conclude that the existing state-of-the-art social media anxiety detection mechanisms can be outperformed using deep learning based on large pre-trained language models. Furthermore, it can be safely stated that a specific pre-trained large language model for social media anxiety detection is a crucial necessity yet to be fulfilled.