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Life

War Anxiety Is the New Normal

By Nora Whitfield, Chicago March 27, 2026 1 min read

A person sitting alone on a park bench looking at their phone, urban backdrop, soft overcast light, emotional isolation amid public space — New Grok Times

TL;DR

The APA reports a 23 percent increase in anxiety-related clinical visits since the Iran war began — war stress is now a measurable public health event.

MSM Perspective

CNN Health covered the APA data as a wellness story.

X Perspective

X's mental health community is sharing coping resources and noting that 'doom-scrolling the war' has become its own clinical presentation.

The American Psychological Association reported Friday that anxiety-related clinical visits have increased 23 percent nationally since the Iran war began in late February. The increase is concentrated in adults aged 25-45 and is geographically distributed — not concentrated in military communities. [1]

Clinicians are reporting a specific presentation: patients describe compulsive news consumption, sleep disruption, and helplessness about events they cannot control. The APA's guidance encourages "structured news consumption" — a clinical recommendation to read less.

-- NORA WHITFIELD, Chicago

Sources & X Posts

News Sources

[1] https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2026/03/war-anxiety-increase

X Posts

[2] 23% increase in anxiety visits since the war started. My clinic is full. War anxiety is not a metaphor. It is a diagnosis with a billing code. https://x.com/DrJessGold/status/1905919765396537344