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2. Predictors of Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptoms in Residents of Fort McMurray Five Years after the Devastating Wildfires.

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 July 2023

E. Owusu ,
R. Shalaby ,
E. Eboreime ,
N. Nkire ,
M. A. Lawal ,
B. Agyapong ,
G. Obuobi-Donkor ,
M. K. Adu ,
F. Oluwasani  and
W. Mao
...Show all authors
E. Owusu*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton
R. Shalaby
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton
E. Eboreime
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton
N. Nkire
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton
M. A. Lawal
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton
B. Agyapong
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton
G. Obuobi-Donkor
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
M. K. Adu
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
F. Oluwasani
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton
W. Mao
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton
H. Pazderka
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton
V. I. Agyapong
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Natural disasters adversely impact individuals living in places where they occur, resulting in emotional distress. The wildfire that occurred in Fort McMurray (FMM), Alberta in 2016 is no different.

Objectives

This study aims to identify the prevalence and predictors of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) symptoms in residents of FMM five years after the devastating wildfires.

Methods

Data for the study were collected through a cross-sectional survey conducted online from the 24th of April to the 2nd of June 2021. A validated instrument, the GAD-7 scale, was used to collect information on anxiety.

Results

Of the total number of 186 residents who took part in the study, the majority were females (85.5%), employed (94.1%), working at school boards (50.0%), and were either married, cohabiting, or partnered (71.0%). The prevalence of likely GAD among the study sample was 42.5%. Unemployed respondents were seventeen times more likely to develop GAD symptoms (OR = 16.62; 95% C.I. 1.23-223.67) while respondents who would like to receive mental health counseling were five times more likely to experience GAD symptoms (OR = 5.35; 95% C.I. 2.03-14.15). Respondents who suffered a loss of property because of the wildfire were two times more likely to develop GAD symptoms (OR = 2.36; 95% C.I. 1.01-22.62).

Conclusions

Formulators of policy may mitigate GAD symptoms, particularly after natural disasters, by making long-term mental health counseling available and a key component of post-disaster management, and by investing in the social capital of the people to build resilience and support to deal with the post-disaster mental health effects.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared

Type
Abstract
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 66 , Special Issue S1: Abstracts of the 31st European Congress of Psychiatry , March 2023 , pp. S88 - S89
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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