Anxiety Disorder in Jordan during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study

المؤلفون

  • Latifa Mari’e Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Balqa Applied University, Al-Salt, Jordan.
  • Refat Aboghazleh Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Balqa Applied University, Al-Salt, Jordan.
  • Tariq Al-Shatanawi Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Balqa Applied University, Al-Salt, Jordan.
  • Duaa Hiasat Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Balqa Applied University, Al-Salt, Jordan.
  • Mohammad Damseh Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Balqa Applied University, Al-Salt, Jordan.
  • Mohammad Almomani Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Balqa Applied University, Al-Salt, Jordan.
  • Wa’el Abuanzah Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Balqa Applied University, Al-Salt, Jordan.
  • Duaa Mugdadi Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Balqa Applied University, Al-Salt, Jordan.
  • Aseel Abualnil Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Balqa Applied University, Al-Salt, Jordan.
  • Abeer Kanaan Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Balqa Applied University, Al-Salt, Jordan.
  • Jamal Al-Omari Department of Special Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Balqa Applied University, Al-Salt, Jordan.
  • Yousef Khader Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35516/jmj.v58i3.709

الكلمات المفتاحية:

Coronavirus anxiety scale; COVID-19 anxiety; COVID-19 pandemic; generalized anxiety disorder; mental disorders

الملخص

Background and Aims: To determine the prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder among university students in Jordan and its relationship with different socio-demographic factors and coronavirus-related anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Materials and Methods: Over a period of four months, a cross-sectional research design was implemented using a Google Forms online survey, which was comprised of questions relating to socio-demographic factors, chronic illnesses, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item questionnaire, and the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale. The survey was conducted with 470 participants.

 

Results: The prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder was found to be 41.3%, with females (n=155) being approximately four times more susceptible than males (p=0.000). Individuals with chronic medical conditions or those taking chronic medication were found to be at a higher risk of developing generalized anxiety disorder (63%, p=0.007 and 65.7%, p=0.002 respectively). Unexpectedly, participants living alone (n=15, 24.2%) were less likely to experience generalized anxiety disorder (p=0.003) compared to those living with family (n=179, 43.9%). Lastly, compared to the smoker group, generalized anxiety disorder was more common in the non-smokers (33.3% vs 43.8% respectively, p=0.048).

 

Conclusions: Due to the burden of the current pandemic and its correlation with socio-demographic factors and chronic illnesses, the prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder among university students has increased significantly. Therefore, there is a pressing need to raise awareness among healthcare professionals about the prevalence, diagnosis, and management of generalized anxiety disorder.

التنزيلات

منشور

2024-08-27

كيفية الاقتباس

Mari’e, L., Aboghazleh, R., Al-Shatanawi, T. ., Hiasat, D. ., Damseh, M. ., Almomani, M. ., Abuanzah, W. ., Mugdadi, D. ., Abualnil, A. ., Kanaan, A. ., Al-Omari, J. ., & Khader, Y. . (2024). Anxiety Disorder in Jordan during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study. المجلة الطبية الأردنية, 58(3). https://doi.org/10.35516/jmj.v58i3.709

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