Generalized anxiety disorder in forcibly displaced Nagorno-Karabakh population
Abstract
Objectives: This study assessed the prevalence of and factors associated with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) among people displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh (NK) currently living in Ararat Province, Armenia.
Methods: A cross-sectional study, conducted in 2024 among 360 displaced people aged ≥50, used an interviewer-administered questionnaire to collect data on socio-demographic characteristics, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depressive symptoms, stressful events, resilience, mental health service use, social support, self-rated health, smoking, and alcohol consumption. The study assessed anxiety symptoms using the seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale. The PTSD Checklist for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) was used to assess the PTSD symptoms.
Results: The mean age of participants was 64.0 years (SD ± 7.88). The mean GAD score was 3.19 (SD ± 4.29; range 0-21), and the mean resilience score was 17.6 (SD ± 9.2; range 0-40). Depressive symptoms were present in 11.8% of participants, and PTSD in 17.8%. About 6.0% were exposed to explosion, while 4.2% experienced assault with a weapon. In multivariable analysis, older age (β= -0.08; 95% CI: -0.13; -0.04), exposure to explosion (β = 1.65; 95% CI: 0.23; 3.08), resilience (β= -0.08; 95% CI: -0.12; -0.04), PTSD (β = 3.33; 95% CI: 2.24; 4.42), and depressive symptoms (β = 4.65; 95% CI: 3.27; 6.03) were associated with GAD.
Conclusions: Anxiety symptoms were common among displaced people from NK and were associated with trauma exposure, PTSD, depressive symptoms, and lower resilience. These findings highlight the need for integrating mental health screening and psychological support for this population.
Key messages: • Anxiety is prevalent and closely linked to trauma-related conditions among the displaced Nagorno-Karabakh population.
• Public health strategies should integrate trauma-informed care and resilience-building interventions.
Related
- Depression and associated factors in forcibly displaced individuals from Nagorno-Karabakh
- Mental health treatment gaps among the forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh
- Correlates of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Among Forcibly Displaced Adults in Armenia
- Implementation of early child development and maternal mental health care package for forcibly displaced Myanmar population in Bangladesh refugee camps: a process evaluation and cost-effectiveness study
- Discrimination in medical settings as perceived by forcibly displaced people within low- and middle-income countries: a scoping literature review.
BibTeX
@article{giloyan2026generalized,
title = {{Generalized anxiety disorder in forcibly displaced Nagorno-Karabakh population}},
author = {A Giloyan and D Muradyan and T Harutyunyan and V Petrosyan},
journal = {The European Journal of Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.1752},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.1752},
note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Generalized anxiety disorder in forcibly displaced Nagorno-Karabakh population
AU - A Giloyan
AU - D Muradyan
AU - T Harutyunyan
AU - V Petrosyan
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - The European Journal of Public Health
DO - 10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.1752
UR - https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.1752
AB - Objectives: This study assessed the prevalence of and factors associated with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) among people displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh (NK) currently living in Ararat Province, Armenia. Methods: A cross-sectional study, conducted in 2024 among 360 displaced people aged ≥50, used an interviewer-administered questionnaire to collect data on socio-demographic characteristics, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depressive symptoms, stressful events, resilience, mental health service use, social support, self-rated health, smoking, and alcohol consumption. The study assessed anxiety symptoms using the seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale. The PTSD Checklist for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) was used to assess the PTSD symptoms. Results: The mean age of participants was 64.0 years (SD ± 7.88). The mean GAD score was 3.19 (SD ± 4.29; range 0-21), and the mean resilience score was 17.6 (SD ± 9.2; range 0-40). Depressive symptoms were present in 11.8% of participants, and PTSD in 17.8%. About 6.0% were exposed to explosion, while 4.2% experienced assault with a weapon. In multivariable analysis, older age (β= -0.08; 95% CI: -0.13; -0.04), exposure to explosion (β = 1.65; 95% CI: 0.23; 3.08), resilience (β= -0.08; 95% CI: -0.12; -0.04), PTSD (β = 3.33; 95% CI: 2.24; 4.42), and depressive symptoms (β = 4.65; 95% CI: 3.27; 6.03) were associated with GAD. Conclusions: Anxiety symptoms were common among displaced people from NK and were associated with trauma exposure, PTSD, depressive symptoms, and lower resilience. These findings highlight the need for integrating mental health screening and psychological support for this population. Key messages: • Anxiety is prevalent and closely linked to trauma-related conditions among the displaced Nagorno-Karabakh population. • Public health strategies should integrate trauma-informed care and resilience-building interventions.
SN - 1101-1262
SN - 1464-360X
ER -