Generalized anxiety disorder and associated factors among Sudanese adolescents during the Sudan Army conflict: A cross sectional study

Background

Anxiety is the state of being worried and uneasy about anything that happens either now or in the future. It is unclear what exactly causes generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). According to some research, a variety of variables, including heredity, differences in brain chemistry, and environmental influences, could be involved. After the Sudanese army battle began in 2023, the purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder among Sudanese teenagers.

Methods

A cross-sectional, community-based study was carried out among all Sudanese adolescents between 13 and 18 years old who were living in Sudan at the start of the conflict by using a self-administered questionnaire under the guidance of parents, if necessary. The questionnaire was adapted from the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 checklist for the assessment of GAD symptoms. The questionnaire was translated into Arabic by expert translators, and its validity and reliability were confirmed. Data were analyzed and presented in the form of descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results

Among the 855 participants, the mean age was 16.5 years, 66.8 % were female, and 50.8 % had generalized anxiety disorder. There was a significant positive relationship between GAD and age, sex, current residency, and traumatic events exposure. With participants aged 17–18 years old having 82 % higher odds of experiencing GAD in comparison with the reference age group (OR = 1.8 (95 % CI [1.2, 2.7])). Furthermore, females were found to have 92 % higher odds for GAD as compared with men (OR = 1.9 (95 % CI [1.4, 2.6])). Whereas internally displaced participants showed 205 % higher odds of GAD in comparison to those who had not been in a war zone (OR = 3.1 (95 % CI [2.11, 4.4])). In addition, experiencing a traumatic event during the war increases the odds of having GAD by 126 % in comparison to those who did not experience it (OR = 2.3 (95 % CI [1.7, 3.1])).

Conclusion

GAD was highly prevalent among the Sudanese adolescents included in the present study. The findings will help the government to provide proper mental health interventions for affected people.