The relationship between chronic physical conditions, multimorbidity and anxiety in the general population: a global perspective across 42 countries
Open accessAbstract
Objective This cross-sectional study assessed the association of chronic physical conditions and multimorbidity with anxiety among community-dwelling adults in 42 countries. Method Data were analyzed from the World Health Survey including 181,845 adults aged ≥18years. Anxiety in the past 30days and nine chronic physical conditions (angina, arthritis, asthma, chronic back pain, diabetes, edentulism, hearing problem, tuberculosis, and visual impairment) were assessed. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to explore the associations between chronic physical conditions or the number of them and anxiety. Results After adjustment for confounders, most of the individual chronic physical conditions were significantly associated with anxiety. Compared to those with no physical health conditions, one condition was associated with an almost twofold increased odds of anxiety symptoms (OR=1.94; 95%CI=1.76-2.13), while this figure rose to 5.49 (3.73-8.09) in those with ≥5 conditions. Conclusions Our data suggest that increasing numbers of chronic physical conditions are associated with higher odds for anxiety. Health care providers should consider the presence of anxiety symptoms especially in individuals with physical multimorbidity.
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- Authors
- Vancampfort, D., Koyanagi, A., Hallgren, M., Probst, M., & Stubbs, B.
- Affiliations
- KU Leuven (BE)
- Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ES)
- Karolinska Institutet (SE)
- National Health Service (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Vancampfort, Davy
- Venue
- General Hospital Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2017-03
- Volume
- 45
- Pages
- 1-6
- ISSN
- 0163-8343 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2555016136
- Cited by
- 108
- References
- 47
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 8
- FWCI
- 8.14
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- kclpure.kcl.ac.uk
- Licence
- cc-by-nc-nd
- www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
- Locations
- General Hospital Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Figshare (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Chronic Disease Management Strategies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
- Keywords
- chronic physical illness, multimorbidity, anxiety, anxiety symptoms, community-dwelling adults, arthritis, diabetes mellitus, chronic back pain, asthma, tuberculosis, visual impairment, hearing loss, edentulism, cross-national comparison
- MeSH terms
- Multiple Chronic Conditions, Multimorbidity, Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Anxiety, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Global Health, Young Adult
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