Anxiety disorders: women twice as affected

Anxiety is a more feminine disorder. A review of the literature shows that women are more affected than their male counterparts. The works, published in the journal Brain and Behavior, show that the share of this psychological disorder has been relatively stable since 1990. But it remains very unequal in the population it reaches.

Underprivileged pregnant women

About 4 in 100 people suffer from anxiety disorders. They are most often manifested by panic attacks, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). But we would not all be equal in the face of these demonstrations, according to the conclusions of the University of Cambridge (United Kingdom). People under 35 years of age are those who experienced the greatest increase between 1990 and 2010. The only notable exception: Pakistan, where quarantine is the risk zone.

But it is women who bear the greatest burden of anxiety disorders. They are twice as affected as men. Certain factors make the picture even worse. Researchers have observed an increase in cases of anxiety in pregnant women. 20% of them are affected.

North America is suffering

Unsurprisingly, the presence of a pathology greatly increases the risk. The double punishment does not spare cancer patients: 15 to 23% of them suffer from anxiety in the early stages of the disease, against 69 to 79% in the more advanced stages.

The publication also highlights geographic imbalances: the Western way of life does not seem beneficial to the inhabitants of Western Europe and North America. The latter are 8% to present anxiety disorders against 3% in East Asia.

In Europe alone, 60 million people are believed to have anxiety disorders. Knowing precisely the risk profiles is therefore crucial, according to Olivia Remes, co-author of the study. “Anxiety disorders can make life extremely difficult for some people,” she explains. It is important that our health services understand how common they are and which groups are most at risk. “