Prevalence, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Working Individuals: A Cross-Sectional Study Using Health Claims and Survey Data in Japan.

PURPOSE: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a common anxiety disorder, and in Japan is poorly understood to be a serious condition among medical practitioners and the general public. This study was, therefore, conducted targeting individuals with probable GAD, to estimate the prevalence of probable GAD as the primary outcome, and to assess medical consultation behavior, diagnosis, treatment, quality of life (QOL), severity of depression symptoms, and work productivity as secondary outcomes.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

This was conducted as a cross-sectional study focusing on individuals with probable GAD, using a database comprising medical claims data from May 2022 to November 2022, and linked survey data collected in November 2022, provided by DeSC Healthcare, Inc. (DeSC). Probable GAD was defined as a score of ≥10 in the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item questionnaire (GAD-7). Secondary endpoints were assessed from claims data and online survey data.

RESULTS

In the study population (n = 18,995), the overall prevalence of probable GAD was 6.4%. Among the probable GAD group, a total of 89.7% individuals received medical consultation; and among this population, 15.8% of individuals consulted with a psychiatric specialist. In the probable GAD group, the most common psychiatric disorder diagnoses were sleep disorders, mood disorders other than bipolar disorder, and somatoform disorders. The most commonly prescribed drugs were antianxiety drugs, followed by hypnotics, and antidepressants. QOL and work productivity were lower in the probable GAD group than the non-probable GAD group; whereas, severity of depression was higher in the probable GAD group.

CONCLUSION

The study findings showed a high prevalence of probable GAD, low consultation behavior, and clarified the diagnosis and treatment status for GAD. These findings highlight the need to raise awareness of GAD among both physicians and patients, leading to appropriate consultation behavior, diagnosis, and treatment.