ADad 6: The Predictive Factors for Anxiety Disorders Among Adolescents in a Rural Community Population in India

Abstract

Development of Anxiety Disorders (AD) among adolescents is the interplay of risk and protective factors that have a biological and environmental basis. This study documents the predictive factors associated with the presence of AD among adolescents in India. The authors prospectively collected data for 500 adolescents in a community with independent, trained raters. Data on the dependent variable of AD and its subtypes was collected with Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED), Socio-economic status with Modified Kuppuswamy Scale, depression with Beck Depression Inventory and the other independent variables with a specially designed proforma. The predictive factors for the presence of AD were analyzed with univariate and multivariate regression analyses appropriately, and a parsimonious predictive model was built. Gender (adjusted OR = 1.96), and presence of Depressive Disorder (adjusted OR = 24.14) emerged as independent risk factors. Level of education came-out as a protective factor (adjusted OR = 0.66). Adolescent girls were at risk of developing Separation Anxiety Disorder (SeAD) (adjusted OR = 3.51) and Social Anxiety Disorder (SoAD) (adjusted OR = 1.69). Level of education had a protective influence on SeAD (adjusted OR = 0.39) and SoAD (adjusted OR = 0.59) among those doing high school. This protective effect increased if they were in higher-secondary school for SeAD (adjusted OR = 0.21) and SoAD (adjusted OR = 0.22). In the multivariate model age of the adolescent also gained significance and the 3-factor model had a good model fit. Panic Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder were not related to any specific variable. Identifying the factors associated with AD and the subtypes can be used to predict, prevent or treat these disorders in this population. Educating adolescent girls to higher-secondary school level seem to be an important step in this direction.