If you’re feeling more anxious these days, you are not alone. Researchers at the University of California San Diego found that Internet searches for panic attacks surged 11% after President Donald Trump declared a national health emergency on March 13, 2020. COVID-19 has sparked a wave of people seeking help and information about acute anxiety online, leading experts to speculate that the pandemic has affected mental health.

According to The San Diego Herald Tribune, highlights of the study, which was published in JAMA on August 24, 2020, noted an all-time high for online searches about anxiety in late March when social distancing measures were recommended. Other peaks occurred when national and international events focused on the deadly dangers of the pandemic.

“There were all these speculations that mental health is declining during COVID-19,” said lead researcher John Ayers, according to the Tribune. “Suicides are up. Drug use is up. What we needed to see was what the needs of the public are. We looked at one specific case: panic attacks.”

The pandemic has affected the mental health of at least one in three Americans who admit they are suffering from symptoms of stress and anxiety, according to the American Medical Association (AMA). Former First Lady, Michelle Obama, revealed she was one of those people battling “low-grade depression” from the stress of the COVID-19 crisis and racial tension.

The AMA said that as the pandemic continues to pummel our nation, it’s more important than ever for people to be aware of their mental well-being and recognize symptoms of anxiety, sadness and depression, and to seek help from reputable sources.