Cross-sectional comparison of the epidemiology of DSM-5 generalized anxiety disorder across the globe
IMPORTANCE: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is poorly understood compared with other anxiety disorders, and debates persist about the seriousness of this disorder. Few data exist on GAD outside a small number of affluent, industrialized nations. No population-based data exist on GAD as it is curr...
| Published in: | JAMA Psychiatry |
|---|---|
| Main Authors: | , , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
American Medical Association
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10230/33570 https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.0056 |
| Summary: | IMPORTANCE: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is poorly understood compared with other anxiety disorders, and debates persist about the seriousness of this disorder. Few data exist on GAD outside a small number of affluent, industrialized nations. No population-based data exist on GAD as it is currently defined in DSM-5. OBJECTIVE: To provide the first epidemiologic data on DSM-5 GAD and explore cross-national differences in its prevalence, course, correlates, and impact. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Data come from the World Health Organization World Mental Health Survey Initiative. Cross-sectional general population surveys were carried out in 26 countries using a consistent research protocol and assessment instrument. A total of 147 261 adults from representative household samples were interviewed face-to-face in the community. The surveys were conducted between 2001 and 2012. Data analysis was performed from July 22, 2015, to December 12, 2016. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The Composite International Diagnostic Interview was used to assess GAD along with comorbid disorders, role impairment, and help seeking. RESULTS: Respondents were 147 261 adults aged 18 to 99 years. The surveys had a weighted mean response rate of 69.5%. Across surveys, DSM-5 GAD had a combined lifetime prevalence (SE) of 3.7% (0.1%), 12-month prevalence of 1.8% (0.1%), and 30-day prevalence of 0.8% (0). Prevalence estimates varied widely across countries, with lifetime prevalence highest in high-income countries (5.0% [0.1%]), lower in middle-income countries (2.8% [0.1%]), and lowest in low-income countries (1.6% [0.1%]). Generalized anxiety disorder typically begins in adulthood and persists over time, although onset is later and clinical course is more persistent in lower-income countries. Lifetime comorbidity is high (81.9% [0.7%]), particularly with mood (63.0% [0.9%]) and other anxiety (51.7% [0.9%]) disorders. Severe role impairment is common across life domains (50.6% [1.2%]), particularly in high-income countries. Treatment is sought by approximately half of affected individuals (49.2% [1.2%]), especially those with severe role impairment (59.4% [1.8%]) or comorbid disorders (55.8% [1.4%]) and those living in high-income countries (59.0% [1.3%]). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The findings of this study show that DSM-5 GAD is more prevalent than DSM-IV GAD and is associated with substantial role impairment. The disorder is especially common and impairing in high-income countries despite a negative association between GAD and socioeconomic status within countries. These results underscore the public health significance of GAD across the globe while uncovering cross-national differences in prevalence, course, and impairment that require further investigation. The WHO WMH Survey Initiative is supported by National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) grant R01 MH070884; the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; the Pfizer Foundation; US Public Health Service grants R13-MH066849, R01-MH069864, and R01 DA016558; Fogarty International Center grant FIRCA R03-TW006481; the Pan American Health Organization; Eli Lilly and Company; Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Inc; GlaxoSmithKline; and Bristol-Myers Squibb. The 2007 Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. The São Paulo Megacity Mental Health Survey is supported by the State of São Paulo Research Foundation Thematic Project grant 03/00204-3. The Bulgarian Epidemiological Study of common mental disorders Epidemiology and Bulgaria is supported by the Ministry of Health and the National Center for Public Health Protection. The Chinese WMH Survey Initiative is supported by the Pfizer Foundation. The Shenzhen Mental Health Survey is supported by the Shenzhen Bureau of Health and the Shenzhen Bureau of Science, Technology, and Information. The Colombian National Study of Mental Health is supported by the Ministry of Social Protection. The Mental Health Study Medellín–Colombia was carried out and supported jointly by the Center for Excellence on Research in Mental Health (CES University) and the Secretary of Health of Medellín. The European Study of the Epidemiology of Mental Disorders project is funded by European Commission contracts QLG5-1999-01042, SANCO 2004123, and EAHC 20081308 (the Piedmont Region [Italy]); Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria; Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain grant FIS 00/0028; Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología, Spain, grant SAF 2000-158-CE; Departament de Salut, Generalitat de Catalunya, Spain; Instituto de Salud Carlos III grants CIBER CB06/02/0046 and RETICS RD06/0011 REM-TAP; and other local agencies and by an unrestricted educational grant from GlaxoSmithKline. Implementation of the Iraq Mental Health Survey (IMHS) and data entry were carried out by the staff of the Iraqi Ministry of Health and Ministry of Planning with direct support from the Iraqi IMHS team, with funding from both the Japanese and European Funds through United Nations Development Group Iraq Trust Fund. The Israel National Health Survey is funded by the Ministry of Health with support from the Israel National Institute for Health Policy and Health Services Research and the National Insurance Institute of Israel. The WMH Japan Survey is supported by grants H13-SHOGAI-023, H14-TOKUBETSU-026, and H16-KOKORO-013 for Research on Psychiatric and Neurological Diseases and Mental Health from the Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The Lebanese Evaluation of the Burden of Ailments and Needs of the Nation is supported by the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, the WHO (Lebanon), National Institute of Health/Fogarty International Center grant R03 TW006481-01, anonymous private donations to Institute for Development Research Advocacy and Applied Care, Lebanon, and unrestricted grants from Algorithm, AstraZeneca, Benta, Bella Pharma, Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, Lundbeck, Novartis, Servier, Phenicia, and Union Pharmaceutique d'Orient SAL. The Mexican National Comorbidity Survey is supported by The National Institute of Psychiatry Ramon de la Fuente grant INPRFMDIES 4280 and by the National Council on Science and Technology grant CONACyT-G30544-H, with supplemental support from the Pan American Health Organization. Te Rau Hinengaro: The New Zealand Mental Health Survey is supported by the New Zealand Ministry of Health, Alcohol Advisory Council, and the Health Research Council. The Nigerian Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing is supported by the WHO (Geneva), the WHO (Nigeria), and the Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja, Nigeria. The Northern Ireland Study of Mental Health was funded by the Health & Social Care Research & Development Division of the Public Health Agency. The Peruvian WMH Study was funded by the National Institute of Health of the Ministry of Health of Peru. The Polish project Epidemiology of Mental Health and Access to Care–EZOP Project grant PL 0256 was supported by Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway through funding from the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism and the Norwegian Financial Mechanism; the EZOP Project was cofinanced by the Polish Ministry of Health. The Portuguese Mental Health Study was carried out by the Department of Mental Health, Faculty of Medical Sciences, NOVA University of Lisbon, with collaboration of the Portuguese Catholic University, and was funded by Champalimaud Foundation, Gulbenkian Foundation, Foundation for Science and Technology and Ministry of Health. The Romania WMH Survey Initiative study projects Policies in Mental Health Area and National Study Regarding Mental Health and Services Use were carried out by the National School of Public Health & Health Services Management (formerly the National Institute for Research & Development in Health), with technical support of Metro Media Transilvania, the National Institute of Statistics–National Centre for Training in Statistics, Societatea Comerciala Cheyenne Services SRL, and Statistics Netherlands and were funded by the Ministry of Public Health (formerly the Ministry of Health) with supplemental support from Eli Lilly Romania SRL. The South Africa Stress and Health Study is supported by US NIMH grant R01-MH059575 and the National Institute of Drug Abuse, with supplemental funding from the South African Department of Health and the University of Michigan. The Psychiatric Enquiry to General Population in Southeast Spain–Murcia Project has been financed by the Regional Health Authorities of Murcia (Servicio Murciano de Salud and Consejería de Sanidad y Política Social) and Fundación para la Formación e Investigación Sanitarias of Murcia. The Ukraine Comorbid Mental Disorders During Periods of Social Disruption study is funded by US NIMH grant R01-MH61905. The US National Comorbidity Survey Replication is supported by NIMH grant U01-MH60220 with supplemental support from the National Institute of Drug Abuse, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant 044708, and the John W. Alden Trust. Preparation of this manuscript was supported by grant R01 MH094425 from the NIMH (Dr Ruscio). |
|---|