THE anxiety disorders have been deciphered by a new study published by the medical journal Brain and Behavior. If their prevalence has not increased for 10 years, anxiety disorders would affect young adults, aged under 35, would be linked to heart disease, cancer and pregnancy. And, women are twice as likely to be anxious as men.
Researchers from the University of Cambridge in the UK carried out a meta-analysis of 1,200 studies dealing with anxiety disorders to understand their evolution, and which category of the population were most affected by this type of pathology.
The conclusions of their study tell us that since 1990, anxiety disorders have not increased and that 4% of the population would be concerned.
If it is the population of North America which seems the most affected (8%) by these problems, that of Southeast Asia remains the most spared. In this region, the rate of anxiety disorders is less than 3%.
Women: the target of anxiety disorders
This study also tells us that women are twice as likely to be affected byanxiety than men, and that pregnancy is a period of great sensitivity.
Scientists have also observed that these disorders affect young adults under the age of 35 more and that they are strongly linked to other health problems.
Indeed, 10.9% of patients with heart disease suffer from anxiety disorder, as one in three patients (32%) affected byhas multiple sclerosis. ” THE anxiety disorders affect large numbers of people and can lead to disability, incapacity and suicide. Data on marginalized groups is scarce and hard to find, yet these are the groups that are at even higher risk. We call for further research, but also for more prevention interventions, targeted at these groups,” the researchers conclude.
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