7.2: Anxiety Disorders - Epidemiology

Learning Objectives

• Describe the epidemiology of generalized anxiety disorder.
• Describe the epidemiology of specific phobia.
• Describe the epidemiology of agoraphobia.
• Describe the epidemiology of social anxiety disorder.
• Describe the epidemiology of panic disorder.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

The 12-month prevalence for generalized anxiety disorder is estimated to be 2.9% of the adult general population of the United States while the mean 12-month prevalence around the world is 1.3% (with a range of 0.2% to 4.3%). The disorder occurs more frequently in women and adolescent girls, those of European descent, and those living in high-income countries (APA, 2022).

Specific Phobia

The prevalence rate for specific phobia is 8-12% in the United States and about 6% in European countries. There is a 2:1 ratio of females to males diagnosed with specific phobia. Prevalence rates are lower in older individuals and those from Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Agoraphobia

The prevalence rate of agoraphobia worldwide for adolescents and adults is 1% to 1.7%. As with other anxiety disorders, women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with it. Older adults in the United States (aged 65 and up) have a 12-month prevalence of 0.4% and for older adults aged 55 and up in Europe and North America, the prevalence is 0.5%.

Social Anxiety Disorder

The overall prevalence rate of social anxiety disorder is significantly higher in the United States than in other countries, with an estimated 7% of the U.S. population diagnosed with social anxiety disorder, compared to 0.5% to 2.0% worldwide (median prevalence in Europe is 2.3%). A decrease in the diagnosis of social anxiety disorder among older individuals, aged 65 years and older, has been found. Regarding gender, there is a higher diagnosis rate in females than males. This gender discrepancy is greater among adolescents and young adults. Finally, non-Hispanic whites in the United States have a higher prevalence rate than Asian, Latinx, African American, and Caribbean Black descent (APA, 2022).

Panic Disorder

The 12-month prevalence for panic disorder in the general population is estimated at around 2-3% in adults and adolescents across the United States and several European countries. Higher rates of panic disorder are found in American Indians and non-Latinx whites. Females are more commonly diagnosed than males with a 2:1 diagnosis rate. Prevalence declines from about 1.2% in adults older than 55 to 0.7% in adults aged 64 and up.

Key Takeaways

You should have learned the following in this section:

• Prevalence rates for anxiety disorders range from 1.0% for agoraphobia up to 12% for specific phobia.
• For most anxiety disorders, females are twice as likely to be diagnosed.

Review Questions

1. Create a table of the prevalence rates across the various anxiety related disorders. What are the differences between the disorders?
2. How do prevalence rates vary as a function of gender, race, nationality, and age?