The Booming Business of American Anxiety

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mental health and more screening in schools and at doctors’ offices. In a recent federal survey, 27% of respondents reported they had symptoms of an anxiety disorder. That’s up from 8% in 2019, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.

Americans looking for help have found that the supply of available and qualified therapists hasn’t kept up with demand. Some can’t afford the fees. That has left a growing industry geared toward anxiety outside the medical and traditional mental-health professions, including supplements, products and mental-health coaches.

The science behind much of the industry is unclear and in some cases questioned by scientists and researchers. The antianxiety claims of most products have no federal or regulatory oversight. The role of the Food and Drug Administration is to ensure that supplements meet safety standards, are well manufactured and accurately labeled, but the agency doesn’t need to approve supplements before they can be sold or marketed.

Supplements might interact with other medications. Wearable devices aren’t regulated if they are intended for general wellness. Some scientists say there haven’t been enough large-scale, peer-reviewed studies to determine whether such products, which can cost hundreds of dollars, work.

There’s also limited research on mental-health coaching, and clinicians warn that adequate training is needed to identify people in crisis and direct them to appropriate treatment. Some in the industry say the science will catch up, and their goal is to fill the gap in a shortage of options for treatment. Sales of a range of supplements that say they offer anxiety support spiked after the pandemic hit, according to data from research firm NIQ.