Prevalence of Anxiety Among College and School Students in Saudi Arabia: A systematic review

Abstract

Background and objectives: Anxiety is a widespread and common mental health issue globally. The causes and risk factors of anxiety must therefore be well understood. This review aims to provide an exhaustive summary of the prevalence of anxiety and its risk factors among students in Saudi Arabia. Methods: PubMed and Embase were searched to identify studies published between 2007 and 2018. An electronic search was carried out from October 11-16, 2018 using relevant keywords to relevant articles focused on the epidemiology and burden of anxiety disorders in Saudi Arabia. Treatment studies and case reports were excluded. Results: The review included 19 articles that showed a prevalence of anxiety among students ranged between 34.9% and 65%. Anxiety was more prevalent among female medical students than male medical students, while, anxiety was predominantly observed more among male dental students than female dental students. Conclusion: A positive correlation exists between depression and anxiety symptom scores. These results help in detecting students who are at a higher risk of developing anxiety and depression, thereby facilitating early intervention to prevent anxiety disorder.