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

Abstract

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.