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Several treatments for anxiety are available, which can make treatment decisions difficult. Resources are often produced with limited knowledge of what information is of interest to consumers. This is a problem because there is limited understanding of what people want to know when considering help for anxiety.
This study aimed to examine the information needs and preferences concerning treatment options for anxiety by assessing the following: what information people consider to be important when they are considering treatment options for anxiety, what information people have received on psychological and medication treatment in the past, how they received this information in the past, and whether there are any differences in information needs between specific samples and demographic groups.
Using a web-based survey, we recruited participants from a peer-support association website (n=288) and clinic samples (psychology, n=113; psychiatry, n=64).
Participants in all samples wanted information on a broad range of topics pertaining to anxiety treatment. However, they reported that they did not receive the desired amount of information. Participants in the clinic samples rated the importance of information topics higher than did those in the self-help sample. When considering the anxiety treatment information received in the past, most respondents indicated receiving information from informational websites, family doctors, and mental health practitioners. In terms of what respondents want to learn about, high ratings of importance were given to topics concerning treatment effectiveness, how it works, advantages and disadvantages, what happens when it stops, and common side effects.
It is challenging for individuals to obtain anxiety-related information on the range of topics they desire through currently available information sources. It is also difficult to provide comprehensive information during typical clinical visits. Providing evidence-based information on the web and in a brochure format may help consumers make informed choices and support the advice provided by health professionals.
Anxiety disorders are one of the most common classes of mental health problems in the community [
There is a limited understanding of what people want to know when considering help for anxiety disorders, which is problematic because many people have unanswered questions not covered by currently available materials [
This study addresses the following gap in the literature: there is a limited understanding of what persons with anxiety want to know about anxiety treatment. Furthermore, increasing health care providers’ understanding of patient information needs will enhance the shared decision-making process. In this study, we evaluated the information needs of adults (aged ≥18 years) seeking support and treatment information for problems with anxiety. We built on earlier research exploring information needs by our research group by recruiting individuals seeking information on the web or from mental health treatment clinics and asking questions about the amount of information individuals had received on different topics. Our goal was to examine the following questions: (1) What information do people consider to be important when they are considering treatment options for anxiety? (2) What information have people received on psychological and medication treatment in the past? (3) How did they receive this information in the past? (4) Are there any differences in information needs between specific samples and demographic groups?
Individuals referred by their family physician for anxiety problems to either a hospital-based anxiety clinic offered through psychology or a hospital-based psychiatric consultation service were invited to participate. Participants recruited from each clinic (before treatment) were provided with information explaining the study’s procedures and a URL address they could use to access and complete a web-based survey. The response rates for the psychology and psychiatry samples were 23.2% (113/487) and 21.3% (64/300), respectively.
To provide a comparison with those seeking treatment for anxiety in hospital-based clinics, we also recruited a
The web-based consent form was the first webpage viewed by the participants when they visited the survey URL address. The consent form described the study’s purpose and highlighted that the choice to participate would not have an impact on the care they received from the treatment settings. Participants were asked to click “yes, I consent” (and then taken to the survey) or “no, I do not consent” (asked to close the browser).
This study was approved by the University of Manitoba Psychology and Sociology Research Ethics Board (protocol 2018:011) and St Boniface Hospital Research Review Committee (RRC/2018/1753).
Many of the questions in this section of the survey were adapted from previous research by our group on information needs and preferences concerning mental health issues [
Participants were asked to provide information concerning their gender, age, marital status, education level (ie, sum of years of education in high school, college, university, and apprenticeship categories), the main activity in the past 12 months (ie, work and school), and country of birth. In addition, they were asked if they had previously been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder by a health care professional. They were also asked if they had previously received psychological or medication treatment or if there was a time when they felt they would have benefited from either treatment but did not receive it. Finally, they were asked about their experience with self-help approaches (eg, exercise and meditation).
Participants’ current level of anxiety symptoms was assessed using the PROMIS (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System) Anxiety Scale (short form), which is a validated measure of anxiety symptoms [
We computed and tabulated descriptive statistics for sociodemographic variables and responses to questions about information experiences and preferences. Sociodemographic data obtained from different groups of respondents were compared using 1-way ANOVA tests for means and chi-square tests for proportions. CIs for mean ratings on the survey items were reported, allowing for convenient comparisons within and across different survey questions and groups of respondents.
In addition, we computed a composite
Before data collection, we conducted an a priori power analysis to determine the sample size required for a power of 0.80, a significance level of .05, and an effect size of Cohen
Most participants in all 3 groups were Canadian born. Most had previously been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, and most reported that they felt they could have benefited from counseling or therapy from a professional for anxiety in the past but had not received it. Despite these similarities, there were several differences in the sample characteristics, particularly between the self-help sample and the 2 clinic samples (
Sociodemographic characteristics of survey respondents.a
|
Self-help sample (n=288) | Psychology sample (n=113) | Psychiatry sample (n=64) | |
Age (years), mean (SD) | 38.2 (13.9) | 37.6 (14.9) | <.001 | |
Women, n (%) | 79 (69.9) | 39 (60.9) | .001 | |
Born in Canada, n (%) | 268 (93.1) | 104 (92) | 60 (93.8) | .87 |
Married or living with someone in a marital-like relationship, n (%) | 44 (38.9) | 26 (40.6) | <.001 | |
Education (years), mean (SD) | 14.3 (3) | 14.2 (3) | <.001 | |
Working full-time in last year, n (%) | 34 (30.1) | 16 (25) | <.001 | |
With PROMISb |
173 (60.1) | 75 (66.4) | .02 | |
Previously received a diagnosis of an anxiety disorder, n (%) | 219 (76) | 88 (77.9) | 42 (65.6) | .17 |
Have received counseling or therapy from a professional for anxiety, n (% yes) | 196 (68.1) | 43 (67.2) | .004 | |
Was there a time when counseling or therapy from a professional for anxiety would have been helpful, but you did not receive it? n (% yes) | 228 (79.2) | 85 (75.2) | 49 (76.6) | .67 |
Have received medication from a physician for anxiety, n (% yes) | 207 (71.9) | 45 (70.3) | .005 | |
Was there a time when medication from a physician for anxiety would have been helpful, but you did not receive it? n (% yes) | 41 (36.3) | 22 (34.4) | <.001 |
aValues in italics are significantly different from corresponding values in other samples.
bPROMIS: Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System.
Ratings of the importance of information topics when considering the kinds of help available for anxiety problems.a
Information topic | Weighted mean rating | Self-help sample (n=288) | Psychology sample (n=113) | Psychiatry sample (n=64) | |||
|
|
Mean rating (95% CI) | With a mean rating ≥6, n (%) | Mean rating (95% CI) | With a mean rating ≥6, n (%) | Mean rating (95% CI) | With a mean rating ≥6, n (%) |
Effectiveness of treatment | 6.6 | 6.4 (6.2-6.7) | 219 (76.0) | 6.9 (6.6-7.2) | 74 (83.6) | 6.8 (6.4-7.3) | 54 (84.4) |
How treatment works | 6.6 | 228 (79.2) | 97 (85.8) | 6.9 (6.5-7.3) | 54 (84.4) | ||
Advantages and disadvantages of treatment | 6.6 | 216 (75.0) | 7.0 (6.7-7.3) | 94 (83.2) | 6.9 (6.6-6.3) | 53 (82.8) | |
What happens when treatment stops | 6.5 | 6.3 (6.1-6.5) | 213 (74.0) | 6.8 (6.5-7.1) | 90 (79.6) | 6.9 (6.4-7.3) | 53 (82.8) |
Common side effects of treatment | 6.5 | 193 (67.0) | 7.0 (6.7-7.3) | 98 (86.7) | 7.1 (6.7-7.5) | 55 (85.9) | |
Goal or outcome of treatment | 6.5 | 181 (62.9) | 7.1 (6.8-7.3) | 101 (89.4) | 6.8 (6.4-7.2) | 53 (82.8) | |
How long treatment continues | 6.3 | 6.1 (5.9-6.3) | 205 (71.2) | 6.6 (6.2-6.9) | 87 (77.0) | 6.6 (6.2-7.1) | 51 (79.7) |
All available treatments | 6.3 | 6.1 (5.9-6.4) | 202 (70.1) | 6.7 (6.4-7.1) | 85 (75.2) | 6.4 (6.0-6.9) | 45 (70.3) |
Uncommon but serious side effects of treatment | 6.3 | 216 (75.0) | 6.6 (6.3-7.0) | 87 (77.0) | 6.8 (6.3-7.2) | 52 (81.3) | |
How long it takes for treatment to produce results | 6.2 | 222 (77.0) | 6.4 (6.0-6.7) | 85 (75.2) | 51 (79.7) | ||
Cost of treatment to you | 6.2 | 6.0 (5.7-6.2) | 181 (62.8) | 6.6 (6.2-7.0) | 85 (75.2) | 6.4 (5.8-7.0) | 48 (75) |
What you have to do as part of the treatment | 6.2 | 6.0 (5.8-6.3) | 205 (71.2) | 6.5 (6.1-6.9) | 87 (77.0) | 6.5 (6.0-7.0) | 50 (78.1) |
Available counseling or psychological treatments | 6.1 | 184 (63.9) | 83 (73.5) | 6.5 (6.0-7.0) | 45 (70.3) | ||
Available medication treatments | 5.7 | 5.6 (5.4, 5.8) | 179 (62.2) | 6.0 (5.6-6.4) | 68 (60.2) | 5.6 (5.0-6.2) | 35 (54.5) |
Self-help treatment | 5.6 | 5.7 (5.5-5.9) | 164 (56.9) | 5.6 (5.1-6.0) | 63 (55.8) | 5.2 (4.7-5.8) | 29 (45.3) |
Exercise | 5.6 | 5.6 (5.4-5.8) | 156 (54.2) | 5.6 (5.2-6.0) | 62 (54.9) | 5.3 (4.7-5.8) | 28 (43.8) |
Meditation | 5.5 | 5.6 (5.4-5.8) | 170 (59.0) | 5.5 (5.0-5.9) | 62 (54.9) | 5.2 (4.6-5.8) | 31 (48.4) |
Herbal remedies | 5.0 | 5.2 (4.9-5.4) | 170 (59.0) | 4.6 (4.1-5.1) | 48 (42.5) | 4.6 (3.6-5.0) | 23 (35.9) |
Cost of treatment to health care system | 4.7 | 5.0 (4.7-5.3) | 167 (58.0) | 4.3 (3.8-4.9) | 43 (38.1) | 4.3 (3.6-5.0) | 24 (37.5) |
Marijuana | 4.7 | 4.7 (4.4-5.0) | 135 (46.9) | 4.5 (3.9-5.0) | 52 (46.0) | 4.7 (4.0-4.4) | 28 (43.8) |
aInformation was considered
bDenotes that the CI for a clinic sample is nonoverlapping with the CI of the self-help sample (at 2 decimal places).
cDenotes a CI for the self-help sample that is nonoverlapping with the CI of both clinic samples (at 2 decimal places).
Ratings of how appropriate the amount of information received was when making decisions about starting counseling or therapy for an anxiety problem.a
Information topic | Weighted mean rating | Self-help sample (n=194) | Psychology sample (n=94) | Psychiatry sample (n=41) | |||
|
|
Mean rating (95% CI) | With a mean rating ≥6, n (%) | Mean rating (95% CI) | With a mean rating ≥6, n (%) | Mean rating (95% CI) | With a mean rating ≥6, n (%) |
Available medication treatments | 4.4 | 101 (52.1) | 3.4 (2.9-3.8) | 20 (21) | 3.7 (3.3-4.2) | 3 (7.3) | |
What you have to do as part of the treatment | 4.3 | 80 (41.2) | 3.8 (3.3-4.2) | 25 (27) | 3.6 (3.0-4.2) | 7 (17.1) | |
Goal or outcome of treatment | 4.3 | 80 (41.2) | 23 (25) | 4.0 (3.4-4.6) | 8 (19.5) | ||
How treatment works | 4.2 | 64 (33.0) | 19 (20) | 3.8 (3.1-4.5) | 7 (17.1) | ||
How long it takes for treatment to produce results | 4.0 | 70 (36.1) | 13 (14) | 3.8 (3.1-4.4) | 8 (19.5) | ||
Effectiveness of treatment | 4.0 | 87 (44.8) | 2.9 (2.5-3.3) | 14 (15) | 3.2 (2.6-3.9) | 3 (7.3) | |
Cost of treatment to you | 3.9 | 74 (38.1) | 3.1 (2.6-3.6) | 21 (22) | 3.2 (2.3-4.0) | 8 (19.5) | |
How long treatment continues | 3.8 | 43 (22.2) | 14 (15) | 3.3 (2.6-4.0) | 6 (14.6) | ||
Advantages and disadvantages of treatment | 3.7 | 56 (28.9) | 2.7 (2.3-3.1) | 9 (10) | 3.0 (2.3-3.8) | 7 (17.1) | |
Common side effects of treatment | 3.7 | 93 (47.9) | 2.7 (2.3-3.2) | 15 (16) | 3.1 (2.4-3.8) | 5 (12.2) | |
What happens when treatment stops | 3.5 | 70 (36.1) | 2.5 (2.1-2.9) | 7 (8) | 2.7 (1.9-3.5) | 4 (9.8) | |
Cost of treatment to health care system | 2.9 | 83 (42.8) | 1.7 (1.3-2.2) | 9 (10) | 1.4 (0.77-2.0) | 1 (2.4) |
aOnly participants who received previous psychological treatment for anxiety were included in the analyses. The weighted mean collapses across samples. The amount of information received was considered appropriate if it received a mean rating ≥6 on a scale with the following anchors: 0 (none), 2 (too little), 4 (moderate amount), 6 (quite a bit), and 8 (just right amount). Values in italics denote a CI that differs from the corresponding CI for one or both of the other samples.
bDenotes that the CI for the self-help sample is nonoverlapping with that of both clinic samples.
cDenotes a clinic sample CI that is nonoverlapping with the CI of the self-help sample.
Ratings of how appropriate the amount of information received was when making decisions about starting medication for an anxiety problem.a
Information topic | Weighted mean rating | Self-help sample (n=204) | Psychology sample (n=94) | Psychiatry sample (n=43) | |||
|
|
Mean rating (95% CI) | With a mean rating ≥6, n (%) | Mean rating (95% CI) | With a mean rating ≥6, n (%) | Mean rating (95% CI) | With a mean rating ≥6, n (%) |
How long it takes for treatment to produce results | 4.6 | 102 (50) | 32 (34) | 4.5 (3.8-5.2) | 13 (30.2) | ||
Goal or outcome of treatment | 4.4 | 86 (42.2) | 23 (24) | 4.1 (3.5-4.7) | 8 (18.6) | ||
What you have to do as part of the treatment | 4.2 | 4.4 (4.2-4.7) | 53 (26) | 3.8 (3.4-4.3) | 24 (26) | 3.8 (3.2-4.4) | 11 (25.6) |
How treatment works | 4.1 | 61 (29.9) | 3.5 (3.1-3.9) | 18 (19) | 4.1 (3.4-4.8) | 10 (23.3) | |
Common side effects of treatment | 4.1 | 67 (32.8) | 23 (25) | 3.7 (3.0-4.4) | 11 (25.6) | ||
Effectiveness of treatment | 4.1 | 4.6 (4.3-4.8) | 86 (42.2) | 3.2 (2.8-3.6) | 16 (17) | 3.6 (2.8-4.3)b | 7 (16.3) |
Available counseling or psychological treatments | 4.0 | 88 (43.1) | 3.3 (2.9-3.8) | 24 (26) | 3.3 (2.6-3.9) | 7 (16.3) | |
Advantages and disadvantages of treatment | 4.0 | 82 (40.2) | 12 (13) | 3.5 (2.8-4.3) | 11 (25.6) | ||
How long treatment continues | 3.9 | 49 (24) | 18 (19) | 3.7 (3.1-4.3) | 7 (16.3) | ||
Cost of treatment to you | 3.8 | 80 (39.2) | 2.5 (2.0-2.9) | 9 (10) | 2.5 (1.7-3.3) | 6 (14) | |
Uncommon but serious side effects of treatment | 3.8 | 51 (25) | 17 (18) | 3.4 (2.7-4.1) | 12 (27.9) | ||
What happens when treatment stops | 3.7 | 76 (37.3) | 2.6 (2.1-3.1) | 16 (17) | 3.1 (2.3-3.8) | 10 (23.3) | |
Cost of treatment to health care system | 2.9 | 94 (46.1) | 1.5 (1.1-1.9) | 7 (7) | 1.5 (0.8-2.1) | 3 (7) |
aOnly participants who received previous medication treatment for anxiety were included in the analyses. The weighted mean collapses across samples. The amount of information received was considered appropriate if it received a mean rating≥6 on a scale with the following anchors: 0 (none), 2 (too little), 4 (moderate amount), 6 (quite a bit), and 8 (just right amount). Values in italics denote a CI that differs from the corresponding CI for one or both of the other samples.
bDenotes a clinic sample CI that is nonoverlapping with the CI of the self-help sample.
cDenotes that the CI for the self-help sample is nonoverlapping with that of both clinic samples.
Ratings regarding the amount of information received from different sources.a
Information topic | Weighted mean rating | Self-help sample (n=286) | Psychology sample (n=113) | Psychiatry sample (n=64) | ||||
|
|
Mean rating (95% CI) | With a mean rating ≥6, n (%) | Mean rating (95% CI) | With a mean rating ≥6, n (%) | Mean rating (95% CI) | With a mean rating ≥6, n (%) | |
Internet | 4.3 | 103 (36.0) | 3.9 (3.4-4.4) | 32 (28.3) | 3.4 (2.9-4.0) | 12 (18.8) | ||
Family physician | 3.6 | 3.6 (3.3-3.8) | 74 (25.9) | 3.8 (3.3-4.3) | 33 (29.2) | 3.6 (2.9-4.2) | 16 (25) | |
Counselor or therapist | 3.6 | 117 (40.9) | 2.5 (2.0-2.9) | 17 (15.0) | 2.7 (2.0-3.4) | 14 (21.9) | ||
Psychiatrist | 3.1 | 109 (38.1) | 2.3 (1.9-2.8) | 17 (15.0) | 2.1 (1.4-2.7) | 7 (10.9) | ||
Friend | 3.1 | 63 (22.0) | 2.5 (2.0-3.0) | 16 (14.2) | 2.1 (1.5-2.6) | 7 (10.9) | ||
Psychologist | 3.1 | 103 (36.0) | 2.1 (1.7-2.6) | 16 (14.2) | 2.1 (1.4-2.8) | 8 (12.5) | ||
Book (eg, self-help book) | 3.0 | 86 (30.1) | 2.1 (1.7-2.6) | 12 (10.6) | 1.9 (1.3-2.5) | 5 (7.8) | ||
Family member (who is not a partner or spouse) | 2.6 | 49 (17.1) | 2.3 (1.9-2.8) | 14 (12.4) | 6 (9.4) | |||
Partner or spouse | 2.3 | 49 (17.1) | 1.5 (1.1-1.9) | 8 (7.1) | 1.4 (0.81-1.9) | 5 (7.8) | ||
Nurse | 1.7 | 32 (11.2) | 1.1 (0.73-1.5) | 7 (6.2) | 1.3 (0.71-1.9) | 5 (7.8) |
aThe weighted mean collapses across samples. The amount of information received was considered
bDenotes that the CI for the self-help sample is nonoverlapping with that of both clinic samples.
cDenotes a clinic sample CI that is nonoverlapping with the CI of the self-help sample.
In the self-help sample, gender and marital status were significant predictors of all 3 outcome variables. Men and married participants were more likely than women and unmarried participants (respectively) to rate a higher number of information topics as being important and feel that they had received an appropriate amount of information about both counseling or therapy and medication treatments after accounting for other predictors. Being born in (vs outside of) Canada emerged as an additional predictor of the number of topics found to be important, and both younger age and higher educational attainment emerged as additional predictors of how appropriate the amount of information received regarding medication treatment was found to be.
Gender was a less important predictor in the regressions performed on the combined clinic sample. Indeed, after accounting for other predictors, men were only more likely than women to report that they had received an appropriate amount of medication information. In contrast, years of education proved to be a somewhat more important predictor in the combined clinic (vs self-help) sample, with higher educational attainment predicting the number of topics found to be important and how appropriate the amount of information received regarding counseling or therapy (and, to a lesser extent, medication) was found to be.
Predictors of composite scores for information importance, information received on counseling or therapy, and information received on medication for the self-help and combined clinic samples.a
Outcome variable | Clinic Sample (0=psychiatry, 1=psychology) | Gender (0=male, 1=female) | Birthplace (0=not Canada, 1=Canada) | Marital status (0=not married, 1=married) | Age | Years of education | Total PROMISb anxiety score | Anxiety disorder diagnosis | Therapy received or neededc | Meds received or neededd | ||||||||||||
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—f | − |
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−0.003 | −0.070 | −0.020 | .470 | 1.86 | −2.20 | ||||||||||
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— | . |
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. |
.93 | .42 | .77 | .67 | .11 | .08 | |||||||||||
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— | − |
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−0.010 | −0.050 | −0.020 | 0.030 | 0.100 | −0.110 | ||||||||||
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|||||||||||||||||||||
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|
— | − |
1.11 |
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−0.003 | −0.070 | −0.020 | 1.49 | — | −0.450 | ||||||||||
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— |
|
.21 |
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.93 | .42 | .77 | .12 | — | .66 | |||||||||||
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— | − |
0.090 |
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−0.160 | 0.270 | 0.180 | 0.110 | — | −0.030 | ||||||||||
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|||||||||||||||||||||
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|
|
— | − |
2.18 | 2.03 | − |
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.090 | −0.460 | 1.38 | — | ||||||||||
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— |
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.08 |
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.09 | .74 | .28 | — | |||||||||||
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— | − |
0.120 |
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− |
− |
0.290 | −0.020 | 0.080 | — | ||||||||||
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−0.135 | 0.187 | 3.14 | 1.06 | .040 |
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.050 | −0.402 | .035 | 2.65 | ||||||||||
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.88 | .84 | .07 | .25 | .21 |
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.47 | .72 | .98 | .06 | |||||||||||
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−0.010 | 0.020 | 0.140 | 0.090 | 0.100 |
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0.060 | −0.030 | 0.002 | 0.150 | ||||||||||
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.450 | .020 | −0.350 | .120 | −0.010 |
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.002 | .450 | — | .270 | ||||||||||
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.34 | .97 | .72 | .80 | .71 |
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.97 | .49 | — | .76 | |||||||||||
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0.080 | 0.003 | −0.030 | 0.020 | −0.030 |
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0.004 | 0.060 | — | 0.030 | ||||||||||
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−0.117 | − |
.360 | 1.40 | −0.060 | .249 | −0.020 | 1.81 | 2.90 | — | ||||||||||
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.90 |
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.20 | .13 | .06 | .08 | .81 | .13 | .18 | — | |||||||||||
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−0.010 | − |
0.020 | 0.130 | −0.170 | 0.150 | −0.020 | 0.130 | 0.120 | — |
aThe number of important topics was defined as the number of topics that received a rating of ≥6 for topic importance. The number of topics for which the right amount of counseling or therapy or medication information was provided equaled the number of topics receiving a rating of ≥6 for amount of information received. Values in italics are significant at
bPROMIS: Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System.
cTherapy received or needed refers to the number of individuals who indicated that they had previously received counseling or therapy for anxiety in the past or who felt they would have benefited from doing so.
dMedication received or needed refers to the number of individuals who indicated that they had previously received medication for anxiety in the past or who felt they would have benefited from doing so.
e
fClinic sample membership is not applicable to the analyses within the self-help sample.
g
This study addressed a gap in the literature in that it is one of the first to explore anxiety treatment information needs and one of the first to assess these needs in samples enrolled via different routes (ie, from psychology or psychiatry clinics vs on the web). Although individuals from both clinic and self-help samples are seeking information, we can speculate that they are likely at different points on their treatment-seeking journey. Specifically, whereas individuals in the clinic samples may have been actively engaging or preparing to engage in a specific form of treatment, individuals in the self-help sample may have still been seeking information about various treatment options, either for themselves or for another person (eg, family member or friend).
The 2 clinical samples comprised individuals with similar demographic characteristics. They also had a higher proportion of women than the self-help sample. This is congruous with the idea that women are more likely than men to seek treatment for mental health problems [
Not surprisingly, the psychology sample had the highest proportion of individuals with counseling or therapy experience. People who have previously received therapy may be more likely to continue to seek out therapy in the future, given that they tend to behave in a way consistent with their past behavior [
All 3 samples viewed information on a wide range of topics as important, consistent with our group’s earlier work involving information needs related to stress, anxiety, and depression [
An area unique to this study was the examination of the amount of information previously received. Overall, the self-help sample provided higher ratings regarding the amount of information received when considering starting counseling or therapy or medication treatment for anxiety. The fact that the psychology clinic sample reported greater treatment experience than the self-help group and that both clinic samples had likely had more opportunities to speak with health care providers about anxiety treatment may have meant that these groups had a better sense of whether they had received
It is noteworthy that the clinic samples did not report feeling adequately informed about medical treatments if they were currently seeking counseling or therapy or vice versa. This suggests that people are not necessarily given a choice when starting a treatment, despite the efficacy of both therapy and medication in treating anxiety problems [
Respondents in the self-help sample indicated that they had received more information from a range of different sources than the clinic samples. Again, this might suggest that members of the self-help group are interested in gathering much information, whereas the clinic samples are at a stage where they have a better idea of the type of information they want or need and where to obtain it. We also found that in the self-help sample, being a man and being married positively predicted the number of information topics rated as important and the appropriateness of the amount of counseling or therapy and medication treatment information received. Men in this sample may have had less treatment experience than women, which could have influenced their ratings in these areas. It may also be that married people are often interested in gathering information to help them understand or support a spouse who is struggling with anxiety, rather than for themselves. In such cases, it may be useful to include the spouse in an initial treatment session designed to provide psychoeducation about anxiety and its treatment.
All 3 study groups reported that their family physicians were important sources of information. This is not surprising given that the family physician is likely to be one of the first health care providers one sees when struggling with mental health problems such as anxiety. However, it does speak of the importance of family physicians engaging in continuing education to ensure that the information they provide is current and that they can address their patients’ questions. Given the range of topics identified as being of interest, one can imagine how difficult it would be to review all of these topics in a typical primary care visit of 10 to 15 minutes or even in a specialist visit of 20 to 50 minutes. More importantly, from the patient’s perspective, it would be very challenging to process and remember large amounts of information if presented orally, especially for those struggling with anxiety. For these reasons, it would be helpful for health care providers to deliver information in the form of patient-oriented brochures or web-based information that can be reviewed over a longer period and revisited as needed [
Although this study addresses gaps in the literature by assessing what information people view as important in considering help for anxiety and what anxiety information they have received in the past, it is not without limitations. A limitation of this study is that it examined the objectives from a quantitative methods perspective. Other useful information may be obtained by collecting open-ended responses in semistructured interviews and using a qualitative approach to data analysis. Another limitation is that this sample may not generalize to individuals not seeking help or information, as many individuals with anxiety do not seek help [
These results indicate that people are interested in a wide range of information topics on anxiety treatment. This is similar to the information needs for people with other health issues such as cancer [
This study fills an important gap in the literature by examining the information needs of people with anxiety. The results suggest that people with anxiety are interested in information developed to answer important questions concerning anxiety treatment. Information needs for other common mental health problems have been found to be similar [
Anxiety Disorders Association of Manitoba
Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System
MTB received funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research for this work. The authors also thank John R Walker and the Family Research Fund for their support of this work.
MTB participated in conceptualization, methodology, formal analysis, investigation, resources acquisition, data curation, all aspects of writing, and funding acquisition. KAR participated in conceptualization, methodology, investigation, resources acquisition, supervision, and writing, reviewing, and editing of the manuscript. LSJ, BMS, and GMA participated in writing, reviewing, and editing of the manuscript. PF participated in conceptualization, methodology, investigation, resources acquisition, supervision, and writing, reviewing, and editing of the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
None declared.