Anxiety is an emotion which is characterized by an unpleasant state of inner

turmoil and includes feelings of dread over anticipated events.

The experience of anxiety has two components: the awareness of the physiologic
sensations (e.g., palpitations and sweating) and the awareness of being nervous or
frightened.

It is a diffuse, unpleasant, vague sense of apprehension, usually accompanied by

autonomic symptoms.

Although the physical and emotional symptoms of anxiety are similar to “fear,” it
differs from fear in that it is not a response to an overt danger, but rather an
impending one.

Studies have revealed that individuals who experience high levels of anxiety are
vulnerable to the experience of intense intrusive thoughts or psychological
disorders that are characterized by intrusive thought.

In 2019, an estimated 4.05% of the global population (301 million people in the
world) had anxiety disorder, making anxiety disorders the most common of all
mental disorders.

Although highly effective treatments for anxiety disorders exist, only about 1 in 4
people in need (27.6%) receive any treatment.

DSM-5 generalized anxiety disorder has a combined lifetime prevalence of 3.7%,

12-month prevalence of 1.8% and 30-day prevalence of 0.8%.

The lifetime prevalence of anxiety in Africa ranged from 5.7% to 15.8% in 36

studies from 12 African countries.

In Bushenyi district in western Uganda, a study done during the COVID-19 total
lockdown revealed that 68.8% of adults who were low income earners had anxiety.