The results of screening of anxiety symptoms in Latvian general population in 2019–2020

To determine the point prevalence of at least mild anxiety symptoms and associated factors in Latvian general population. Computer assisted face-to-face interviews were carried out between November 2019 and March 2020 to gather information on a representative sample of the Latvian adult population (n=2687). The study sample was selected using a stratified random sampling method. The participants were interviewed using the 7-item anxiety scale: Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7); a score of ≥5 was defined as indicating the presence of at least mild clinically relevant symptoms of anxiety. Binary logistic regression was applied to identify anxiety associated factors. There were 1238 males (46.1%) and 1449 females (53.9%) recruited. Mean age of respondents was 49.9 (SD 18.2). The point prevalence of at least mild anxiety symptoms in general population was 14.8 % with no statistically significant difference between genders. The point prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder in general population according to GAD-7 was 4.1%. Self-evaluation of health state as low or moderate (p<0.001) (vs. high), unfinished primary education (p=0.002) (vs. university degree) and age below 65 (p<0.001) (vs. 65+) were statistically significantly associated factors for anxiety. The odds of having anxiety symptoms were lower in urban dwellers (but not in capital city; vs. rural) (p=0.01) and married participants or those living with partner (vs. divorced, widowed) (p=0.04). Younger people, people with low self-rated health, those with low level of education, inhabitants of rural areas and divorced or widowed people are at particular significant risk of anxiety symptoms, which should be addressed in developing prevention strategy and screening programmes.