Generalized Anxiety: The Role of Socio-Demographics in Association with Psychological Risk Factors in Middle-Aged Adults in the U.S.
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2023
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Abstract
This research paper demonstrates the role that socio-demographics plays in relation to Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and psychological risk factors using a quantitative design approach through a purposive sample. Existing measures that were used in this study were the demographic questionnaire, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale-7 (GAD-7), and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Participants of 103 U.S. citizens, with no specific gender, ethnicity, diagnoses, marital status, educational level, profession, and income but with a specific age, were derived through the survey platform, SurveyMonkey. The study yielded results that indicate that the number of diagnoses, female gender, lower reported salary, and part-time employment had a slightly higher total of GAD-7, PHQ-9 and PSS score that is highlighted through the use of a regression analysis. The results of this research provides supporting evidence that the data partially supports and aligns with the initial hypothesis because the socio-demographics of gender, the number of self-reported psychological diagnoses, and salary shows a slightly positive correlation with the data. The data did not provide a strong positive correlation, but it is a generalizable study that can provide insights into other or future studies. These results contribute to the large discussion of GAD’s relationship between psychological risk factors and socio-demographics, because the examination of the factors associated with depression, anxiety, and stress through a sex-sensitive lens can help clinicians diagnose and plan the best preventative and therapeutic approach.
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Keywords
Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Psychological Risk Factors, Demographic Characteristics, GAD, GAD-7, PHQ-9