Generalised anxiety disorder symptoms and utilisation of health care services. A cross-sectional study from the “Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort”

Abstract

Objective: To analyse the utilization of health care services of people who tested positive for GAD compared to those who tested negative. Setting: A cross-sectional study from the Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort. Subjects: A total of 10,282 members followed from birth in a longitudinal study were asked to participate in a follow-up survey at the age of 46. As part of this survey they filled in questionnaries concerning health care utilization and their illness history as well as the GAD-7 screening tool. Althogether 5,480 cohort members responded to the questionnaries. Main outcome measures: Number of visits in different health care services among people who tested positive for GAD with the GAD-7 screening tool compared to those who tested negative. Results: People who tested positive for GAD had 112% more total health care visits, 74% more total physician visits, 115% more visits to health centres, 133% more health centre physician visits, 160% more visits to secondary care, and 775% more mental health care visits than those who tested negative. Conclusion: People with GAD symptoms utilize health care services more than other people.

Key Points

• Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) is a common but poorly identified mental health problem in primary care.

• People who tested positive for GAD utilise more health care services than those who tested negative.

• About 58% of people who tested positive for GAD had visited their primary care physician during the past year.

• Only 29% of people who tested positive for GAD had used mental health services during the past year.

Keywords:

• Anxiety disorders
• Finland
• general practice
• generalised anxiety disorder
• health care services,
• health care utilisation
• psychiatric services

Acknowledgements

The study complied with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. The participants took part on a voluntary basis and signed their informed consent. The data were handled on a group level only, the personal information being replaced by identification codes. The Ethics Committee of the Northern Ostrobothnia Hospital District approved the research.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Funding information

M.T. was reimbursed by Oy Bristol-Myers Squibb (Finland) Ab, H. Lundbeck A/S, Pfizer Oy and Servier Finland Oy for attending four conferences; was paid by Astra Zeneca, Oy Bristol-Myers Squibb (Finland) Ab, Eli Lilly, Pfizer Oy, and Servier Finland Oy for speaking on different educational occasions, has received advisory panel payments from H. Lundbeck A/S and Pfizer Oy for four meetings, and is a minor shareholder in Valkee Ltd. No other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.