Evaluation of quality of life in teenagers with anxiety symptoms

Background: Adolescence is a period responsible for psychological and physiological changes that may influence the quality of life and the onset or worsening of anxiety. Objective: evaluate the quality of life of adolescents with screening positive for anxiety symptoms. Method: Cross-sectional, observational, and epidemiological study, carried out from 2021/December to 2023/September, with adolescents aged from 11 to 17 years, of both gender, regularly enrolled in two public schools in a city at Western Paraná, Brazil. The Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC) and the Assessment of Quality of Life (AUQEI) questionnaires were used. Concerning MASC questionnaire, the cut-off point was ≥ 56 points, situation in which the participant should be evaluated by a mental health professional. About AUQEI scale, adolescents with score ≤ 48 were considered to have low quality of life. Results:277 adolescents who filled the MASC and AUQEI questionnaires were analyzed. Of the participants, 25 (9%) were excluded due to incomplete completion. Age ranged from 11 to 17 years (mean: 14 years), with 126 (50%) male and 126 (50%) female. Using the MASC questionnaire, 89 adolescents (35.3%) scored positive for anxiety symptoms, and of these, 52 (58.4%) scored low on the AUQEI scale. About adolescents who scored positive on the MASC, 72 (73.4%) were female. Conclusions: There was association between female and anxiety symptoms (p<0.001). This study shows that prevention, early diagnosis, and monitoring of anxiety symptoms in adolescents will have a positive impact on the quality of life of this population.