Prevalence and Predictors of Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptoms in Residents of Fort McMurray Five Years after the Devastating Wildfires

Background: Natural disasters adversely impact individuals living in places where they occur, resulting in emotional distress. The wildfire that occurred in Fort McMurray (FMM), Alberta in 2016 is no different. Objective: This study aims to identify the prevalence and predictors of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) symptoms in residents of FMM five years after the devastating wildfires. Methods: Data for the study were collected through a cross-sectional survey conducted online from the 24th of April to the 2nd of June 2021. A validated instrument, the GAD-7 scale, was used to collect information on anxiety. Results: This study involved 186 residents of FMM, of which the majority were females (85.5%), employed (94.1%), working at school boards (50.0%), and were either married, cohabiting, or partnered (71.0%). The prevalence of likely GAD among the study sample was 42.5%. Unemployed respondents were seventeen times more likely to develop GAD symptoms (OR = 16.62; 95% C.I. 1.23–223.67) while respondents who would like to receive mental health counseling were five times more likely to experience GAD symptoms (OR = 5.35; 95% C.I. 2.03–14.15). Respondents who suffered a loss of property because of the wildfire were two times more likely to develop GAD symptoms (OR = 2.36; 95% C.I. 1.01–22.62). Conclusion: Policymakers may mitigate GAD symptoms, particularly after natural disasters, by making long-term mental health counseling available and a key component of post-disaster management, and by investing in the social capital of the people to build resilience and support to deal with the post-disaster mental health effects.