Google’s search for anxiety symptoms from mid-March to mid-May were the highest they have been in the search engine history, according to researchers from the Qualcomm Institute’s Center for Data Driven Health at the University of California, San Diego.
The study was published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
In particular, anxiety and panic attacks corresponded to major news events, including March 16, when national social distancing guidelines were set, and March 29, when these guidelines were extended.
Questions also spiked on April 3, when U.S. President Donald Trump announced recommendations for face masks; and on April 11, when the US passed Italy on the number of coronavirus deaths.
The results were able to give leaders and policymakers perspective on how to manage the general population the perception of public health guidelines, and could inform how we support crisis providers to seek help quickly, researchers said.
“For some, fear has a greater negative effect on their health than does Covid,” said John Ayers, lead author of the study and adjunct associate professor at San Diego State University. “The results can help leaders listen and think holistically about the cost of some of those measures.”
Time insight into the mood of the nation
Researchers looked at how often people searched for phrases such as “panic attack,” “anxiety attack,” “do I have a panic attack?”, “Signs of anxiety attack” and “symptoms of anxiety attack.”
The scientists compared the total number of anxiety-related searches in the early days of the pandemic with data reaching after January 2004, and they adjusted for variables such as population growth and increased internet use over the past two decades.
Compared to where the trend for these search terms was prior to the pandemic, the research team said they believe the crisis caused an 11% increase in searches related to panic attacks over the 58-day period.
“In practical terms, there were an estimated 3.4 million total searches in the first 58 days of the Covid-19 pandemic related to severe acute anxiety in the United States,” said Benjamin Althouse, a branch assistant professor at the University of Washington, and a fellow at the study.
“Search for fears and panic attacks were the highest they have ever been in more than 16 years of historical search data.”
The highest general day was March 28, a day before social distance guidelines were extended, in which anxiety rates were 52% higher than expected, there had been no pandemic.
This study comes a week after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published research data that showed a spike in the number of people reporting increased substance abuse and seriously considering suicide, a trend that was equally pronounced as well in the Black and Latino communities.
How to better help people in crisis
This new data can help officials design interventions that directly benefit a person in the midst of a panic attack, and it can help researchers focus on where and when increased emotional stress occurs.
The use of search engine results can provide more real-time insight into meeting people where they are, compared to more traditional research methods such as conducting a telephone survey or enrolling participants in a study, Ayers explained.
“Listening to the audience can have a direct impact,” Ayers said. “We see people expressing a need and seeking help. Internet search is also a path to intervention.”
“This can be scaled up,” he said.
Another way to deploy a public health resource that people can access directly could be to use existing search tools, such as Google’s OneBox, to prioritize information that can help in emergencies, the researchers said.
Know the signs and what to do
Emotional signs of a panic attack include symptoms such as feeling stressed or nervous, worries about the past as well as the future, feeling of tears and not being able to sleep or relax.
If you experience symptoms of panic attacks, the NHS recommends quiet breathing practices, getting enough exercise, eating a healthy diet, seeking peer support, and using a mindfulness or meditation app.
Mental health experts also say it can be helpful to exercise gratitude and establish a schedule. Especially during the coronavirus crisis, it is important to be careful about how and when you deal with the media, as news drives your fears. Restricting the use of social media can also help, as they can spread misinformation and conspiracy theories about the virus.
“A panic attack is not easy to take because it can land someone in the emergency room with shortness of breath, a throbbing heart, chest pain and an intense feeling of anxiety,” Ayers said. “Our results undoubtedly guarantee a need for increased mental health services.”
CNN’s Sandee LaMotte contributed to this story.
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