Socioeconomic Determinants of Anxiety Disorders Management: Analyzing NHIS Data from 2020 to 2023

The prevalence of anxiety disorders has increased over the past decades due to rapid societal changes and environmental factors. Anxiety disorders pose a significant financial burden on the U.S. healthcare system with escalating costs, becoming an increasingly urgent public health concern. Examining the relationship between socioeconomic variables and anxiety disorders management is essential for identifying disparities in public health, shaping health policies, and enhancing clinical mental health outcomes. This study analyzes trends in anxiety-related health indicators among adults under treatment for anxiety, and its relation to key socioeconomic factors, including insurance coverage, access to primary care, financial ability to pay medical bills, history of Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits, and geographic location. This study utilizes data compiled from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS), a harmonized version of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) from 2020 to 2023. A subset of adults 18 years and above who reported taking medication for feelings of worried, nervousness, or anxious (anxiety-related symptoms) without any missing data (n = 15,215) was selected and analyzed to assess trends of level and frequency of feeling such emotional status and associations with socioeconomic factors. The study found that the group with depression medication, receiving WIC benefits and government-supported rental assistance were significantly associated with higher frequency of feeling such emotional status. The study also found that the group with depression medication, receiving WIC benefits, lack of insurance coverage and a usual place for medical care were significantly associated with higher odds of experiencing high levels of anxiety symptoms.