Explaining the Youth Anxiety Epidemic: Towards a New Social Theory of Anxiety.

尽管在精神病学哲学中，人们普遍认为焦虑是不确定性的一种功能（Barlow 2002），但关于这种不确定性究竟意味着什么，仍存在持续的争论。物理不确定性理论认为，焦虑的功能是尽量减少对身体威胁的不确定性（Nesse & Klass 1994），而社会理论认为，焦虑的功能是尽量减少对社会地位的不确定性（Baumeister & Tice 1990）。在这场辩论中取得进展不仅在哲学上很重要，因为它可以让我们在这些焦虑理论之间做出裁决，而且对于开发有效的临床焦虑治疗方法也是必不可少的。我的项目将通过评估哪种理论可以最好地解释我们的经验数据来推进这场辩论，特别是青年焦虑流行病，自2000年以来，英国年轻人（14-24岁）报告的焦虑增加了8.3% （APMS NHS 2014）。我的主要研究问题是：身体或社会不确定性理论能否解释青少年焦虑症的流行？我认为，虽然物理理论无法做到这一点，但一种改进的社会理论可以做到。因此，我将构建一个改进的社会不确定性理论，提出一种新的调节焦虑的认知机制。我将利用这一机制来解释青少年焦虑的流行，展示社交媒体照片分享平台是如何导致青少年焦虑的。为了验证我提出的机制所做出的预测，我将进行实证研究，包括跨文化比较研究，研究在年轻人不使用社交媒体的社会中焦虑发作的年龄，因为在这些情况下，发病应该更晚。我的哲学工作不仅能让我们在焦虑的争论中取得有价值的进展，而且有可能为预防和干预年轻人焦虑的精神病学方法的发展提供信息。我的哲学硕士学位获得了优异的成绩（76%），为我承担这个项目做好了充分的准备。我写了一篇关于广场恐惧症的论文，达到了82%。我还获得了阿瑟·h·瑞安主教奖，因为我是哲学学士班的第一名。我的导师，伯明翰的Lisa Bortolotti，是精神病学领域的杰出哲学家，她的专业知识对我的项目至关重要。伯明翰心理健康研究所（BIMH）和我的共同导师马修·布鲁姆（MatthewBroome）也将是宝贵的资源，为我的实证研究提供专业知识。我的工作也将增加BIMH在青少年心理健康方面的研究财富。

Although it is widely accepted within the philosophy of psychiatry that anxiety is broadly a function of uncertainty (Barlow 2002), there is an ongoing debate about what this uncertainty regards. Physical uncertainty theories argue that anxiety's function is to minimise uncertainty about physical threats (Nesse & Klass 1994), whereas social theories argue that anxiety's function is to minimise uncertainty about one's social rank (Baumeister & Tice 1990). Making progress in this debate is not only philosophically important, as it may allow us to adjudicate between these theories of anxiety, but it is also essential for the development of effective clinical anxiety treatments. My project will progress this debate by assessing which theory can best explain our empirical data, specifically the youth anxiety epidemic, which is represented by an 8.3% increase in reported anxiety in UK young people (14-24) since 2000 (APMS NHS 2014).My central research question is: can physical or social uncertainty theories explain the youth anxiety epidemic? I will argue that while physical theories cannot do so, an improved social theory could. Therefore, I will construct an improved social uncertainty theory which proposes a novel cognitive mechanism that regulates anxiety. I will appeal to this mechanism to explain the youth anxiety epidemic, showing how social media photo-sharing platforms contribute to youth anxiety.To test the predictions my proposed mechanism makes, I will conduct empirical research, including cross cultural comparative studies examining the age of anxiety onset in societies where social media is not used in youth, as the onset should be later in these cases. My philosophical work will not only allow us to make valuable progress in the anxiety debate but also has the potential to inform the development of psychiatric methods of prevention and intervention foranxiety in young people.My Philosophy MA, awarded a Distinction (76%), has well prepared me to undertake this project. I wrote my dissertation on the anxiety disorder agoraphobia, achieving 82%. I was also awarded the Monsignor Arthur H. Ryan Prize for graduating top of my BA Philosophy cohort.My supervisor, Birmingham's Lisa Bortolotti, is a leading philosopher of psychiatry, and her expertise will be vital for my project. Birmingham's Institute of Mental Health (BIMH) and my co-supervisor, MatthewBroome, will also be invaluable resources, providing expertise to assist me with my empirical research. My work will also add to the wealth of BIMH's research into youth mental health.