Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD-7) in Ukrainian sample during wartime.

Authors

Nadiia Aleksina, Anastasiia Shyroka, Olga Gerasimenko, Denys Lavrynenko, Olena Savchenko, Angel Blanch, Olga Malas

Published in

Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology. Jun 25, 2026. Epub Jun 25, 2026.

Abstract

This study aims to providing evidence of validity of the Generalised Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7) in a general adult Ukrainian population (n = 1,101) during wartime. It also seeks to determine measurement invariance by gender, age, and other socio-economic factors; identify central symptoms; and propose interventions tailored to specific needs.
Data were analysed using Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Network Analysis, and Analysis of Variance.
The findings support the validity of a unidimensional model for the GAD-7. Strict invariance was observed among older-aged participants and related subgroups, as well as between displaced/non-displaced individuals and military/non-military groups. In contrast, younger participants, and related subgroups such as singles, university students, and individuals with low incomes, only showed metric invariance compared to these other groups. The data suggest variations in the perception and reporting of anxiety between younger and older adults, consistent with NwA findings. Although GAD-3 and GAD-2 were central symptoms for all groups, among younger individuals and related subgroups, GAD-1 ("Feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge") was the most central symptom. Conversely, among older individuals and related subgroups, GAD-5 ("Being so restless that it is hard to sit still") emerged as the most central symptom. The results indicate lower levels of anxiety in individuals under 25 years of age, university students, not coupled, and non-displaced individuals. It also supports the use of NwA for understanding the psychopathology of anxiety and the development of targeted intervention strategies based on age and context. The discussion addresses findings across subgroups and proposes contextually aligned interventions.
The GAD-7 demonstrated adequate validity for assessing anxiety in the Ukrainian adult population during wartime, revealing differences in the structure and centrality of symptoms according to age and other sociodemographic factors.

PMID:
42347887
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 25 Jun 2026.

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