Experiences of Anger in Patients in Primary Health Care With Symptoms of Generalized Anxiety

Overview

Symptoms of generalized anxiety is common in the general population and is often treated in primary health care. Anger is an emotion that can lead to interpersonal problems but can also be an agent for justice and change. Previous research has shown a link between generalized anxiety and anger but there is a lack of qualitative research investigating how individuals with symptoms of generalized anxiety experience anger. The aim of this research study is to increase knowledge about how anger is experienced in adult patients in primary health care with symptoms of generalized anxiety and about the experiences of health care professionals working with patients with symptoms of generalized anxiety.

Symptoms of generalized anxiety is common in the general population and is often treated in primary health care. The core of the diagnostic criteria for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is excessive long-term worry that is difficult to control and concerns a number of events or activities. In this study we use the term "symptoms of generalized anxiety" by which we refer to these symptoms, regardless of whether the patient has a clinically established diagnosis of GAD or not. Anger is an emotion that can lead to interpersonal problems but can also be an agent for justice and change. Previous research has shown a link between generalized anxiety and anger but there is a lack of qualitative research on how individuals with symptoms of generalized anxiety experience anger. The aim of this research study is to increase knowledge about how anger is experienced in adult patients in primary health care with symptoms of generalized anxiety and about the experiences of health care professionals working with patients with symptoms of generalized anxiety. The study has the following research questions: 1. How do adult patients in primary health care with symptoms of generalized anxiety experience their own anger? 2. How do health care professionals experience anger in patients in primary health care with symptoms of generalized anxiety? 3. How do health care professionals experience attitudes towards and treatment of adult patients with symptoms of generalized anxiety in primary health care with special focus on the patients' anger? Patients with symptoms of generalized anxiety and health care professionals at primary health care centers are interviewed (se section on eligibility). The goal is to include 15-20 patients and 15-20 health care professionals. A questionnaire with background questions is completed and the interviews follow an interview guide. The background questionnaire and interview guide differ between patients and health care professionals. The interviews are audio recorded and transcribed into text. The data is analyzed using thematic analysis according to the guidelines given by Braun and Clarke (2006; 2013).