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. 2014 Jun;32(2):78-83.
doi: 10.3109/02813432.2014.920597. Epub 2014 Jun 12.

Prevalence of anxiety disorders among Finnish primary care high utilizers and validation of Finnish translation of GAD-7 and GAD-2 screening tools

Tero Kujanpää  1 , Tero Ylisaukko-Oja, Jari Jokelainen, Sari Hirsikangas, Outi Kanste, Helvi Kyngäs, Markku Timonen
Affiliations

Prevalence of anxiety disorders among Finnish primary care high utilizers and validation of Finnish translation of GAD-7 and GAD-2 screening tools

Tero Kujanpää et al. Scand J Prim Health Care. 2014 Jun.

Abstract

Objective: To analyse the prevalence of GAD and other anxiety disorders, as well as sensitivity and specificity of GAD-7 among high utilizers of health care.

Setting: Four municipal health centres in Northern Finland.

Subjects: A psychiatric interview was conducted for 150 high utilizers of health care.

Main outcome measures: Prevalence of GAD as well as sensitivity and specificity of GAD-7.

Results: The prevalence of GAD was 4% in this study group of Finnish high utilizers of health care. The sensitivity of GAD-7 was 100.0% (95% CI 54.1-100.0) and the specificity of GAD-7 was 82.6% (95% CI 75.4-88.4) with a cut-off point of 7 or more.

Conclusion: GAD is rather common among high utilizers of primary care, although the prevalence of 4% is lower than that previously reported. GAD-7 is a valid and useful tool for detecting GAD among primary health care patients.

Keywords: Anxiety disorders; Finland; general practice; generalized anxiety disorder; high utilizers of health care; panic disorder; screening.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Flow chart demonstrating participation in the study.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
ROC for GAD, panic disorder and other anxiety disorder using a) GAD-7 and b) GAD-2.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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