Prevalence and risk factors of generalized anxiety disorder among adult COVID-19 survivors in Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu

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Background: The infectious disease pandemic (COVID-19) has not only affected the physical health but also the psychosocial health of the infected population by increasing anxiety and stress. Our aim of this study is to estimate the generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) among the COVID-19 survivors in Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu.Methods: A community -based descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among 330 COVID-19 survivors in Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu during December 2021 to May 2022. A predesigned and pretested, semi-structured proforma was used to collect data about the basic socio-demographic variables and COVID-19 infection related variables. A standardised 7 item GAD scale (GAD 7) was used for screening symptoms of anxiety. The presence of symptoms of anxiety was defined by a GAD 7 score of 8 and above. A p<0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: Out of 330 study participants, 15.8% of them had symptoms of anxiety with GAD 7 score of >8. We found significant level of anxiety with age, female gender, marital status, socio-economic status, and presence of co-morbidity, Similarly, COVID-19 related factors like duration of hospital stay, family members either being affected or died due to COVID-19 infection were significantly associated with high level of anxiety.Conclusions: During this COVID-19 pandemic, the symptoms GAD was much higher among the COVID-19 survivors. A timely diagnosis and management are essential, by creating awareness at all levels of health care personal in the health system.