Gender Differences in Self-Perceived Personal Resources of Older Adults with Generalized Anxiety Symptoms Friederike H Boehlen 1* , Wolfgang Herzog 1 , Dieter Schellberg 1 , Imad Maatouk 1 , Kai-Uwe Saum 2 , Hermann Brenner 2 and Beate Wild 1 1 Department of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics, Medical University Hospital, INF 410, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany 2 Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Aging Research, German Cancer Research Center, INF 581, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany * Corresponding author: Friederike H Boehlen, Department of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics, Medical University Hospital, INF 410, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany, Tel: +49-(0)-6221-56-8649; Fax: +49-(0)-6221-56-5749; E-mail: friederike.boehlen@med.uni-heidelberg.de Received date: April 07, 2017; Accepted date: April 26, 2017; Published date: April 28, 2017 Copyright: © 2017 Boehlen FH, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Abstract Background: Symptoms of general anxiety disorder (GAD) are common in older age, especially in women. Gender and sex differences in anxiety influence the way individuals interact with others and how they cope with new circumstances. Psychosocial resources (personal traits, social contacts, etc.) play an important role in the process of dealing with subjective worries and difficult situations. The aim of this study is to examine gender differences of self- perceived personal resources in elderly patients. Methods: 3124 elderly persons (ages 55-85) were included in the study at the third follow-up of the large population-based German ESTHER study. GAD-symptoms were measured with the GAD-7 (cut-point>5). Psychosocial resources were assessed during a home visit by trained study doctors using a list of 26 different items. Results: GAD-symptoms were found in 434 individuals (13.9%; 67.1% female, 32.9% male). Self- efficacy, family, and feeling needed were the most frequently reported resources in older adults with GAD-symptoms. Personal resources (composure, humor) and social resources (partner, leisure activities) were reported significantly less frequently by elderly women compared to men. Women with GAD-symptoms showed a significantly reduced quality of life, a higher severity of somatic symptoms, and a higher degree of loneliness compared to men. Keywords: Generalized anxiety; Disability; Mental disorders Introduction Anxiety in older age is common [1]. Prevalence rates of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) in older individuals range between 2.8% and 7.3% [2,3]. GAD is characterized by uncontrollable worries over a period of at least 6 months [4]. In older persons it comprises a wide range of physical vegetative symptoms such as sleep disturbances and palpitations [5]. Furthermore, individuals with GAD ofen show symptoms of depression [6]. GAD is associated with disability and an impaired quality of life [7]. In addition, anxiety infuences the way individuals interact with family and friends and how they face challenges, ofen resulting in difculties in interpersonal relationships [8]. Generalized anxiety disorder is more frequently diagnosed in females [9,10]. Women with GAD show higher levels of anxiety and a higher degree of functional impairment [3,11]. Previous studies have indicated that women have higher rates of comorbid mood disorders, whereas men with GAD-symptoms were more frequently co- diagnosed with substance use disorders or antisocial behaviour [3,10]. Biological factors such as hormonal infuences and socio-cultural factors appear to contribute to gender diferences in GAD. Both physical and mental impairment, as well as socialization processes, shape the way a person perceives his or her personal strengths. Psychosocial resources play an important role in the process of coping with both physical and mental impairment as well as with the integration of new circumstances [12,13]. Resources can be personal resources (self-efcacy, optimism, composure) or social contacts (support through family, spouse, and/or health professionals). Environmental factors (fnancial security or work) can also be perceived as supportive elements. Current research shows that psychological and social resources correspond to physiological resilience [14], and that active participation is fundamental for the process of recovery [15]. A previous study indicated that older individuals with mental illness reported coping resources and social support signifcantly less frequently in comparison to non-mentally ill persons [16]. In individuals with GAD, reduced optimism and a heightened neural response to everyday worries was shown [17]. In older women self- efcacy was negatively correlated with age [18]. To date however, no study has investigated whether and how older men and women with GAD symptoms difer in their self-perceived psychosocial resources. Tis is the frst study that is asking a large sample of older individuals with GAD-symptoms about factors in their lives that they perceive as strength-giving. Better knowledge regarding the diferences in psychosocial resources of older women and men with GAD-symptoms could provide important information for gender-specifc treatment of anxiety in age. Journal of Aging Science Boehlen et al., J Aging Sci 2017, 5:1 DOI: 10.4172/2329-8847.1000178 Research Article OMICS International J Aging Sci, an open access journal ISSN:2329-8847 Volume 5 • Issue 1 • 1000178