(79) Prevalence and Incidence of Generalized Anxiety Disorder Among Adults in the United States

Background: : Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a chronic psychiatric illness characterized by excessive, diffuse and uncontrollable worry. GAD impairs functioning, diminishes quality of life and is associated with a substantial economic burden. Yet, despite its widespread impact, prior estimates of incidence and prevalence and burden of GAD are outdated and have varied widely in the literature.

Objective: : This study sought to characterize the incidence and prevalence of GAD in adults in the United States (US) using claims data.

Methods: : This retrospective study used closed claims data from the Komodo Healthcare Map™ database to examine patients with GAD. Patients were identified using ICD-10 diagnosis codes and GAD-related pharmacological treatments. Payer-complete claims were used to estimate annual and multi-year prevalence and incidence. Prevalence estimates were calculated by applying diagnosis rates (by age, gender, and payer channel strata) over each time period from the Komodo database and scaling these estimates to the US population using Census data. The denominator for diagnosis rates included patients with continuous enrollment during each reported year. Incidence was estimated by identifying patients with a new GAD diagnosis in a given year, following at least two years of continuous enrollment without a prior GAD diagnosis.

Results: : The annual 1-year prevalence of GAD among US adults steadily increased from 5.4% (13.3M) in 2020 to 6.6% (16.4M) in 2023. For the years 2021-2023, the projected 3-year prevalence was 25.3M (10.3% of the US adult population). Patients were predominantly female (67.4%), middle-aged (mean age: 43.7), and commercially insured (60.6%; as compared to 21.5% for Medicare and 17.9% for Medicaid). Demographic distributions stayed relatively consistent year over year over this time frame, with a median age of 41 years. Annual incidence rate ranged from 2,082 cases per 100,000 in 2020 to 2,267 cases per 100,000 in 2023, suggesting an influx of newly diagnosed cases year over year.

Conclusions: : These findings suggest that more than 1 in 10 US adults were affected by GAD over a three-year period, with annual prevalence steadily increasing from 2020 to 2023. Given the lack of current data, these real-world findings highlight the substantial and growing burden of GAD in the US population; this research sheds light on the magnitude of GAD, utilizing real world data. Future research could elucidate this burden by identifying the clinical, economic, and humanistic challenges underlying these epidemiologic estimates.

Sponsorship:: Mind Medicine (MindMed) Inc.