Generalized anxiety disorder: Prevalence, predictors, and comorbidity in children and adolescents

Generalized anxiety disorder: Prevalence, predictors, and comorbidity in children and adolescents

•The lifetime prevalence of GAD in Iran is 2.6 % that is at the low end of the range of international estimates.•Higher age, being female, mother’s history of psychiatric hospitalization, mother’s low education, and urban living are associated with an increased odds ratio for GAD in children and ado...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of anxiety disorders 2020-06, Vol.73, p.102234-102234, Article 102234
Main Authors: Mohammadi, Mohammad Reza, Pourdehghan, Parandis, Mostafavi, Seyed-Ali, Hooshyari, Zahra, Ahmadi, Nastaran, Khaleghi, Ali
Format: Article
Language:eng
Subjects:
Adolescent
Anxiety - epidemiology
Anxiety Disorders - epidemiology
Anxiety Disorders - psychology
Child
Comorbidity
Cross-Sectional Studies
Feeding and Eating Disorders - epidemiology
Female
Generalized anxiety disorder
Humans
Iran - epidemiology
Male
Mood Disorders - epidemiology
Predictors
Prevalence
Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
Risk Factors
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Summary:•The lifetime prevalence of GAD in Iran is 2.6 % that is at the low end of the range of international estimates.•Higher age, being female, mother’s history of psychiatric hospitalization, mother’s low education, and urban living are associated with an increased odds ratio for GAD in children and adolescents.•Other anxiety disorders, particularly separation anxiety disorder are common in children and adolescents with GAD.•Anxiety disorders and eating disorders have the highest and the lowest comorbidity with GAD in children and adolescents. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is one of the most prevalent anxiety disorders among children and adolescents. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence, sociodemographic variables, and comorbidity of GAD among children and adolescents to suggest the main predictors, using an analytical cross-sectional study. Data were collected via a multistage random-cluster sampling method from 29,709 children and adolescents aged 6–18 years old in Iran. We used the Persian present and lifetime version of the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (K-SADS-PL). Then, we analyzed the data via descriptive analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis methods. The lifetime prevalence rate for GAD was 2.6 % (95 % Cl, 2.4%–2.8%). Overall, logistic regression analyses revealed five variables with significant unique contributions to the prediction of GAD. Significant predictors were: age, sex, mother history of psychiatric hospitalization, mother education, and residence. Participants with these risk factors were between 0.23–2.91 times more likely to present with GAD. Besides, the highest and lowest comorbidity rates of psychiatric disorder with GAD was 57.6 % and 0.3 % related to anxiety and eating disorders, respectively. Age or sex also affects the comorbidity of GAD and some mental disorders including behavioral, neurodevelopmental, elimination, and mood disorders. This study, which was conducted in Iran, is located at the low end of the range of international estimates for GAD. Awareness of the predictors and comorbidity of GAD could be used in the prevention of GAD in children and adolescents.
ISSN:0887-6185
1873-7897