Prevalence of Generalized Anxiety Disorder among Adults in Primary Health Care in Qatar: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) has distinctive features of excessive anxiety, worries, and tension. People with GAD have a considerable degree of impairment and often have a poor quality of life besides increased health care costs. Our aim is to determine the prevalence of GAD among adults and the associated factors. Subjects and methods: A cross-sectional study with a sample size of 385 was conducted on adults aged 18 - 65 years at Primary Health Care Corporation in Qatar. We used probability, cluster sampling technique and written consents were secured from participants who met inclusion and exclusion criteria. Considering the COVID-19 current pandemic, measures were considered at interviews to complete GAD-7 questionnaire which is a seven-item instrument that is used to measure the severity of GAD. A total score ranges from 0 to 21. Scores of 5, 10, 15 represent cut-points for mild, moderate, and severe anxiety respectively. Moderate and severe anxiety are considered worthy of clinical attention. We used SPSS version 23 for data analyses. Approval notice was obtained from the Research Committee. Results: The prevalence of clinically significant GAD (moderate to severe) in the study sample was 5.2%. One half of the group with moderate to severe anxiety felt that their life is tough (very or extremely difficult). One third of the participants diagnosed with clinically significant GAD related it to COVID-19 pandemic. A multiple logistic regression model used to predict GAD showed association with: female gender, Northern Africa/South-eastern Asia nationalities, having a positive family history of anxiety disorders, age less than 30 years, illiterate/primary education level, a very high income, and being a smoker. The primary model that included all the explanatory variables was statistically significant with a 95.6% overall predictive accuracy for the outcome. Conclusion: This prevalence highlights the importance of regular screening of GAD, especially for those at high risk. The study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Key words: Generalized anxiety disorder, prevalence, Qatar.