Prevalence of Probable Generalised Anxiety Disorder Among Master of Public Health Students at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria

Introduction: Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) is a common and debilitating mental health condition characterised by excessive and persistent worry over various aspects of life. GAD poses significant challenges for university students, affecting their physical health, academic performance, and overall well-being. Investigating the prevalence of probable GAD among students of the University of Ibadan allows for targeted interventions tailored to their unique needs. Aim: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of probable GAD among Master of Public Health (MPH) students at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving a total of 170 MPH students, who were selected using a multi-stage sampling technique. A pre-tested, self-administered questionnaire was used to obtain data from the respondents. The GAD-7 scale was adapted to measure anxiety levels, categorising respondents as GAD negative (≤9) or GAD positive (>9). The Chi-square test was used to determine associations between variables at α= 0.05. Results: The mean age of the respondents was 27.5 ±4.7 years, and the prevalence of probable GAD among them was 37.6%. Academic stress (70.6%) was the most reported risk factor for GAD, with a significant association between the prevalence of probable GAD and the respondents’ workload (p=0.006). Conclusion: Prevalence of probable GAD was observed among the respondents, indicating the need to enhance the academic well-being of future public health leaders.