@article{ref1,
title="2023 wildfires in Canada: living in wildfire regions in Alberta and Nova Scotia doubled the odds for residents to experience likely generalized anxiety disorder symptoms",
journal="Journal of clinical medicine",
year="2024",
author="Obuobi-Donkor, Gloria and Shalaby, Reham and Agyapong, Belinda and Da Luz Dias, Raquel and Agyapong, Vincent Israel Opoku",
volume="13",
number="11",
pages="-",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Wildfires have become increasingly prevalent in various regions, resulting in substantial environmental and psychological consequences that have garnered increasing attention. <br><br>OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine the prevalence of likely Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and explore the determinants of likely GAD during the wildfires in Alberta and Nova Scotia. <br><br>METHODS: Data were collected online through a cross-sectional survey from 14 May-23 June 2023. Alberta and Nova Scotia participants self-subscribed to the program by texting 'HopeAB' or 'HopeNS' to a short code, respectively. The GAD-7-validated tool was used to collect information on likely GAD. <br><br>RESULTS: This study included 298 respondents while one hundred and twelve respondents lived in a region of Alberta/Nova Scotia affected by the wildfires (37.7%). The prevalence of likely GAD among the respondents was 41.9%. Respondents who lived in a region of Alberta/Nova Scotia recently impacted by the wildfires were twice as likely to experience GAD symptoms (OR = 2.4; 95% C.I. 1.3-4.3). <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The study's identification of a statistically significant relationship between residing in a wildfire-impacted region and likely GAD shows the association between environmental and psychological well-being. However, the relatively small sample size and self-reported assessment of GAD symptoms may limit the generalizability of the findings. Further research involving a larger sample size delving into potential predictors could facilitate strategies for mitigating the mental health consequences of natural disasters.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="2077-0383",
doi="10.3390/jcm13113234",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/jcm13113234"
}