Symptoms of generalized anxiety among undergraduate students: prevalence, associated factors and possible consequences

ABSTRACT Objective To measure the anxious symptoms of undergraduate students at a public university in southern Brazil, the factors associated with it and the possible consequences. Methods This was a cross-sectional study with a random sample of undergraduate students in 2019. A questionnaire that evaluated sociodemographic, academic, mental and physical health aspects was used. Symptoms of generalized anxiety were evaluated through the Generalized Anxiety Disorder – 7 (GAD-7). Associated factors and possible consequences were analyzed using the Poisson regression, with robust variance adjustment. Results Among the 994 participants, the prevalence of symptoms of severe generalized anxiety was 30.9% (95% CI: 27,9%-33,9%). The variables independently associated with symptoms of generalized anxiety were: female gender, non-heterosexual orientation, feeling very afraid of violence in the neighborhood, perceiving access to psychological service as difficult. Having a high level of social support, and with any level of physical activity were considered protective factors for the outcome. Possible consequences of symptoms of generalized anxiety were: worse sleep quality, non-medical use of prescription drugs in the last 30 days, and being classified with moderate or severe suicide risk. Conclusions These results indicate the need to a closer attention to subgroups within this population. Implementation of psychological interventions that includes a broader range of individuals simultaneously are recommended (such as therapeutic groups) to reduce the burden of anxiety in the university context. The strengthening of the university’s student assistance sector is also important to improve this situation.