Women are twice as susceptible to anxiety disorders as men

Anxiety disorders are more widespread than expected
At first, fear is a necessary and completely normal affect. But what happens if we permanently suffer from our fears? Then such so-called anxiety disorders quickly become a serious problem. Researchers now found that women are twice as likely to suffer from anxiety disorders than men.

People who are constantly suffering from unfounded fears are likely to have an anxiety disorder. Scientists from the prestigious University of Cambridge have now found in an investigation that women are much more likely to have anxiety disorders than men. The physicians published the results of their study now in the journal "Brain and Behavior".

When fears become a permanent companion, it usually means that you are suffering from a so-called anxiety disorder. However, there are medicines and therapies for this particular form of anxiety. (Image: fotodo / fotolia.com)

People in Europe more prone to anxiety disorder than Asians
A new study on anxiety disorders has now yielded some interesting results. Apparently, people in North America and Western Europe are more susceptible to anxiety disorders than residents from other countries in the world. In North America, nearly eight out of 100 people suffer from so-called anxiety disorders. In East Asia, for example, it is less than three out of every 100 people, say the authors.

Medication, meditation, yoga and sports can help against pathological fears
Fear is important to us and should not be suppressed or overlooked, says lead author Olivia Remes of the Strangeways Research Laboratory at the University of Cambridge. Some people seem to think that fear is part of their personality and that they can do nothing about it, the researcher adds. Excessive care, anxiety and avoidance of potentially stressful situations, such as social gatherings, characterize the so-called anxiety disorders. But there are treatments, including psychological treatments and medications, that can help people to strengthen their mental health. These include, for example, physical activities, meditation and yoga, Remes explains in the study.

Does brain chemistry make a difference in anxiety disorders??
The researchers analyzed data from more than 1,200 published studies on anxiety for their study. Then they concentrated on 48 of the studies. The data showed that from 1990 to 2010, the total number of people with anxiety disorders remained about the same, say the scientists. About four in a hundred people suffer from this form of morbid anxiety. It was noticeable that women suffer about twice as often as men from anxiety disorders, explain the physicians. The study also found that about ten percent of men and women under the age of 35 have an anxiety disorder. It is not known why women are more prone to this form of anxiety. There could be differences in the chemistry of the brain among the sexes, remarks the lead author Remes.

People with health problems often suffer from anxiety disorders
Women are also more likely to suffer from other mental health problems, such as depression. In addition, it is very likely that men are less likely to seek professional help with mental health problems, the experts say. Why young people are more likely to develop fears is not yet well known, but it may just be that older people are better able to suppress and hide their fears, adds the lead author. It was also striking: people with other health problems also suffer more from anxiety disorders. About 70 percent of people with anxiety disorders also suffered from physical illness, the researchers explain.

People with multiple sclerosis are the most affected by anxiety disorders
Among the people with heart disease, about eleven percent had an anxiety disorder in western countries, especially women, Remes says. People with multiple sclerosis are the most affected and as many as 32 percent of sufferers suffer from an anxiety disorder. In the United States, anxiety disorders cost an estimated $ 42 billion a year. More than 60 million people in the European Union also suffer from anxiety disorders, the experts explain.

Conversation therapy, medications and lifestyle changes can help sufferers
Different cultures deal differently with fears. In western countries, there is above all a social fear. People are always concerned to be under the observation of other people, the experts say. Nevertheless, the people here are extremely self-confident. In Asian cultures, for example, people are afraid of giving offense to others by their fears. Anxiety disorders have not received the necessary attention for a long time. There are effective treatments for anxiety disorders, including talk therapy, medications and lifestyle changes. Such steps could help those affected to deal better with their condition, say the scientists.