Psychosocial Predictors Of Generalised Anxiety Disorder Symptoms Among Adolescents Examining Risk And Protective Factors

Abstract

Generalized Anxiet y Disorder is prevalent among adolescents because myriads of biological changes, psychological conflicts and social circumstances come together to create an austere atmosphere of distr ess at the adolescence stage. The situation is more pronounced amon g adolescents in low and middle - income countries . Current researc h has therefore called for attention to examining context - specific risk and protective factors among non - clinical adolescent populations to ensure early detection amongst the general population and inform timely evidence - based interventions. The current st udy contributed to this agenda by examining context - specific psychosocial risks and protective factors of Generalized Anxiety Disorder symptoms in two different communities in Ghana; Accra, the capital city and Obuasi , a municipality noted for its rich gol d deposits and mining activities . A total of 300 adolescents aged 13 - 19 years, comprising 147 males a nd 153 females sampled from Obuasi ( 137 ) and Accra (163) responded to a six - scale questionnaire including the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Di sorders . Analysis of V ariance and R egressional A nalysis revealed that non - productive coping, parental autonomy and parenta l involvement are risk factors for Generalized Anxiety Disorder . S elf - esteem was identified as a protective factor against Generalized Anxiety Disorder . Female ado lescents, adolescents in Obuasi who lived with their fathers only, and those who wor ked reported higher symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder . Different risk and prot ective factors for Generalized Anxiety Disorder were ident ified in Accra and Obuasi. These findings indepth understanding of adolescent mental health in Ghana with regards to Generalized Anxiety Disorder