The Prevalence of Generalized Anxiety Disorder Among Adolescent Girls: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract Introduction: Anxiety disorders share a fundamental element: an unrealistic sense of anxiety that diminishes or hinders an individual’s productivity in life. The essential component of anxiety is a strong negative emotion arising from the anticipation of danger. The pathways connecting the brainstem, amygdala, and relevant subcortical structures to decision-making areas in the frontal lobes contribute to generating fear in response to threats. Often, disrupted anxiety levels are accompanied by abnormalities in the activation of these pathways. Proper diagnosis relies on documenting anxiety symptoms that are not attributable to depressive disorders, according to the diagnostic criteria for generalized anxiety disorder. The most effective treatment for generalized anxiety disorder may involve a combination of psychotherapy, medication, and supportive interventions. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 500 female patients. We obtained a written consent from all patients in the group. Personal information, demographics, and symptoms were collected. The study excluded patients who didn’t complete the questionnaire. The study was approved by the Ethical Review Board (IRB) of the Faculty of Medicine in the Syrian Private University. A statistical analysis was performed using SPSS-25. Chai square test was used to study the relation among variables. A p value less than 0.05 was considered statistically relevant. Results: The severity of Generalized Anxiety Disorder varied among the females who participated in the study as such: 2.6% had light GAD, 14.8% were moderately affected, 19% were severely affected, and 63.3% were very severely affected.