Studies Women are much more likely to be scared

Women, young adults and the chronically ill are particularly frequently affected by anxiety
Many people suffer from anxiety disorders, which can put a heavy strain on their daily lives and cause physical discomfort. University of Cambridge researchers have now found that women are almost twice as likely as men to be affected by such fears. Also, people in Western Europe and North America suffer much more fear than people from other cultures, according to Cambridge University.

According to the researchers, anxiety disorders usually manifest in excessive anxiety, fear and a tendency to avoid potentially stressful situations, including social contact. They are among the most common mental health problems in the Western world, according to the University of Cambridge Communication. In their recent research, scientists at the UK University have evaluated numerous previous studies on anxiety disorders and found that women are affected almost twice as often as men. Young people - both male and female - also suffered disproportionately from anxiety at the age of 35 years. The researchers published their findings in the journal "Brain and Behavior".

According to a recent study women are much more frequently affected by anxiety disorders than men. (Image: pathdoc / fotolia.com)

60 million Europeans suffer from anxiety disorders
More than 60 million people in the European Union are affected by anxiety disorders each year, according to researchers. Numerous studies have investigated possible causes for the frequent occurrence of anxiety disorders and have tried to identify certain risk groups. The scientists from the Institute of Public Health at the University of Cambridge have now carried out a global review of the available studies and filtered out of more than 1,200 papers a total of 48, the data of which they considered robust enough. On the basis of this work, study author Olivia Remes and colleagues carried out an analysis of the risk among different population groups worldwide.

No increase in anxiety
The scientists come to the conclusion that in the years from 1990 to 2010, the proportion of affected people has largely remained the same. Around four out of every 100 people experience anxiety, with the highest proportion of people with anxiety in North America, where nearly eight out of 100 people are affected, the researchers report. By contrast, the lowest proportion is found in East Asia, where less than three in 100 people have these mental health problems. In North Africa and the Middle East, despite the difficult living conditions, only 5 out of 100 people were affected.

Chronic diseases increase the risk
An above-average concern, the researchers noted not only in women and young adults, but also in people with known chronic pre-existing conditions. For example, people with cardiovascular diseases (diseases of the cardiovascular system) increasingly suffer from concomitant anxiety disorders, which in turn could have an effect on the cardiovascular system. Here, the fear becomes a double burden. Among chronic diseases, anxiety has been the most prevalent among patients with multiple sclerosis, the researchers report.

Which population groups are particularly at risk?
The co-author of the study, dr. Louise Lafortune from the Institute of Public Health at Cambridge University emphasizes that anxiety disorders "affect a lot of people and lead to disability, disability and suicidal risk." However, despite extensive research on the subject, significant research gaps remain. It is also important in this context to identify which groups of people are at greatest risk, adds Olivia Remes. The analysis shows that the data are missing or poor quality for many populations. However, these could be the groups that are at a particularly high risk.

Professor Carol Brayne, director of the Cambridge Institute of Public Health, explains that even in the very large number of studies on anxiety disorders, data on fringe groups are hard to find ... Targeted research can now be followed by identifying the data gaps with the present study In the future, the general and individual risk to further reduce, so the conclusion of Prof. Brayne. (Fp)