Generalized anxiety disorder in forcibly displaced Nagorno-Karabakh population
A Giloyan, D Muradyan, T Harutyunyan, V PetrosyanAbstract
Objectives
This study assessed the prevalence of and factors associated with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) among people displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh (NK) currently living in Ararat Province, Armenia.
Methods
A cross-sectional study, conducted in 2024 among 360 displaced people aged ≥50, used an interviewer-administered questionnaire to collect data on socio-demographic characteristics, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depressive symptoms, stressful events, resilience, mental health service use, social support, self-rated health, smoking, and alcohol consumption. The study assessed anxiety symptoms using the seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale. The PTSD Checklist for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) was used to assess the PTSD symptoms.
Results
The mean age of participants was 64.0 years (SD ± 7.88). The mean GAD score was 3.19 (SD ± 4.29; range 0-21), and the mean resilience score was 17.6 (SD ± 9.2; range 0-40). Depressive symptoms were present in 11.8% of participants, and PTSD in 17.8%. About 6.0% were exposed to explosion, while 4.2% experienced assault with a weapon. In multivariable analysis, older age (β= -0.08; 95% CI: -0.13; -0.04), exposure to explosion (β = 1.65; 95% CI: 0.23; 3.08), resilience (β= -0.08; 95% CI: -0.12; -0.04), PTSD (β = 3.33; 95% CI: 2.24; 4.42), and depressive symptoms (β = 4.65; 95% CI: 3.27; 6.03) were associated with GAD.
Conclusions
Anxiety symptoms were common among displaced people from NK and were associated with trauma exposure, PTSD, depressive symptoms, and lower resilience. These findings highlight the need for integrating mental health screening and psychological support for this population.
Key messages
• Anxiety is prevalent and closely linked to trauma-related conditions among the displaced Nagorno-Karabakh population.
• Public health strategies should integrate trauma-informed care and resilience-building interventions.