Prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder symptoms and their associations with behavioral attitudes and perception of the future in the Russian youth

Aim. To investigate the prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder symptoms and their associations with behavioral attitudes and perception of the future among the Russian youth.

Materials and methods. The study involved 1,300 people aged 16–25 years and was conducted online in October 2022 using online questionnaires, which included the GAD-7 screening questionnaire on the severity of anxiety symptoms.

Results. According to the questionnaire, 25.5% of young people who participated in the study reported medium to high intensity of anxiety symptoms. These respondents were significantly more likely to perceive the country’ future negatively (p = 0.002). In addition, the largest proportion of people who reported a motive to leave the country (38.6%) was registered among young people who were at risk of generalized anxiety disorder. The authors emphasize that the study results should be interpreted in relation to the time period of data collection.

Conclusion. The study showed that generalized anxiety disorder symptoms negatively affected the perception of the future among young people and highlighted the need for primary psychological prevention in this age group.

1. Peshkovskaya A. Letter to the editor: Other Consequences. COVID-19 and underestimated public health crisis. Journal of Psychiatric Research. 2021;144:320–322. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.10.038.

2. Cai H., Chow I.H.I., Lei S.-M., Lok, G.K.I., Su Z., Cheung T. et al. Inter-relationships of depressive and anxiety symptoms with suicidality among adolescents: A network perspective. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2023;324:480–488. DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.12.093.

3. Воеводин И.В., Пешковская А.Г., Галкин С.А., Белокрылов И.И. Социальная адаптация и психическое здоровье студентов-мигрантов в Сибири. Социологические исследования. 2020;11:157–161. DOI: 10.31857/S013216250010306-9.

4. Calling S., Midlöv P., Johansson S., Sundquist K., Sundquist J. Longitudinal trends in self-reported anxiety. Effects of age and birth cohort during 25 years. BMC Psychiatry. 2017;17:3. DOI: 10.1186/s12888-017-1277-3.

5. Bayram N., Bilgel N. The prevalence and socio-demographic correlations of depression, anxiety and stress among a group of university students. Soc. Psychiatry Psychiatr. Epidemiol. 2008;43:667–672. DOI: 10.1007/s00127-008-0345-x.

6. Булдакова А.А., Жилина И.П., Стуков А.И., Котельников М.В. Генерализованное тревожное расстройство: современные аспекты клиники и лечения. Международный студенческий научный вестник. 2021;6:34.

7. Скобликова Е.О. Гибкость познавательной способности и угнетение реакции у пациентов с обсессивно-компульсивным и генерализованным тревожным расстройствами. Региональный вестник. 2020;7:74–75.

8. Miu A.C., Heilman R.M., Houser D. Anxiety impairs decision-making: psychophysiological evidence from an Iowa Gambling Task. Biol. Psychol. 2008;77:353–358. DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2007.11.010.

9. Peshkovskaya A., Myagkov M. Eye gaze patterns of decision process in prosocial behavior. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience. 2020;14:525087. DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.525087.

10. Grassi G., Pallanti S., Righi L., Figee M., Mantione M., Denys D. Think twice: impulsivity and decision making in obsessive-compulsive disorder. J. Behav. Addict. 2015;4:263– 272. DOI: 10.1556/2006.4.2015.039.

11. Mueller E.M., Nguyen J., Ray W.J., Borkovec T.D. Future-oriented decision-making in generalized anxiety disorder is evident across different versions of the Iowa Gambling Task. J. Behav. Ther. Exp. Psychiatry. 2010;41:165–171. DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2009.12.002.

12. Adshead G. The time of our lives: Psychological disorders, time perception and the practice of mindfulness. European Journal of Psychotherapy & Counselling. 2013;2:139–150. DOI: 10.1080/13642537.2013.795337

13. MacLeod A.K., Byrne A. Anxiety, depression, and the anticipation of future positive and negative experiences. J. Abnorm. Psychol. 1996;2:286–289. DOI: 10.1037//0021-843x.105.2.286.

14. Peshkovskaya A., Babkina T., Myagkov M. In-Group Cooperation and Gender: Evidence from an Interdisciplinary Study. In: Kaz M., Ilina T., Medvedev G. (eds.). Global economics and management: transition to economy 4.0. Springer, Cham, 2019. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-26284-6_17

15. Brosch T., Scherer K.R., Grandjean D., Sander D. The impact of emotion on perception, attention, memory, and decision-making. Swiss Med. Wkly. 2013;143:w13786. DOI: 10.4414/smw.2013.13786.

16. Spitzer R.L., Kroenke K., Williams J.B., Löwe B. A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: the GAD7. Arch. Intern. Med. 2006;10:1092–1097. DOI: 10.1001/archinte.166.10.1092.

17. Опросник ГТР-7 (GAD-7) и рекомендации WFSBP по терапии генерализованного тревожного расстройства. Обозрение психиатрии и медицинской психологии имени В.М. Бехтерева. 2013;2:71.

18. Galkin S.A., Peshkovskaya A.G., Simutkin G.G., Vasil’eva S.N., Roshchina O.V., Ivanova S.A. et al. Impairments to the functions of spatial working memory in mild depression and their neurophysiological correlates. Neuroscience and Behavioral Physiology. 2020;50(7):825–829. DOI: 10.1007/s11055-020-00973-4.

19. Куанова Л.Б. Тревожные расстройства в клинической практике – современный взгляд на проблему терапии. Медицина (Алматы). 2020;56:63–70.

20. Ральникова И.А., Шамардина М.В. Социальная тревога как фактор становления субъективной картины жизненного пути в период нормативного кризиса юности. Психолог. 2020;2:15–31. DOI: 10.25136/2409-8701.2020.2.32602.

21. Пантелеева В.В., Куприянов С.Н. Взаимосвязь временной перспективы с уровнем личностной и ситуативной тревожности личности. Научный вектор Балкан. 2019;1(3):63–65.

22. Представления о будущем у молодежи крупных городов в России, Украине и Беларуси. URL: http://zukunftsbild.nemtsovfund.org/2018/survey-ru/

23. Образ будущего глазами молодежи: неравенство и мобильность. URL: http://zukunftsbild.nemtsovfund.org/2019/

24. Ожидания от будущего: взгляды оптимистов и пессимистов. URL: https://www.levada.ru/2020/11/24/ozhidaniya-otbudushhego-vzglyady-optimistov-i-pessimistov/

25. Васильева А.В., Зинченко Ю.П., Исаева Е.Р., Караваева Т.А., Конорева А.Е., Мизинова Е.Б. и др. Генерализованное тревожное расстройство: Клинические рекомендации. Взрослые. Электронное издание. М.: Министерство здравоохранения Российской Федерации, 2021:101.