This Spotlight features a list of up-to-date and freely available research and resources on the topic of anxiety and women's health.
Anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness or fear that is a normal response to stress. However, when these anxious feelings are persistent, interfere with daily life and are out of proportion to the reality of a situation, an anxiety disorder may be present. One in three women, compared to one in five men will experience an anxiety disorder in their lifetime, and anxiety disorders are the leading contributor to the burden of disease in Australian girls and women aged five to 44.
Women’s higher likelihood of developing anxiety symptoms and related disorders are thought to arise from a combination of genetic, biological and socio-environmental factors.
Although there is a lack of recent Australian population data on the prevalence of anxiety disorders, a 2018 survey of over 15,000 of women aged over 18 found 46% of women reported being diagnosed with anxiety or depression.
Women's Health Victoria (2019) Spotlight on anxiety and women's health. Women's Health Victoria. Melbourne. - (Spotlight; April 2019)
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