Addressing Health Disparities in Anxiety and Related Disorders: Current Efforts in the Field to Improve Treatment Access and Effectiveness of Interventions in Diverse Populations

Dear Colleagues,

As you are each aware, the prevalence and associated distress of anxiety and its related disorders remain of utmost concern to clinicians; researchers; policy makers; and, most of all, to those many individuals who suffer from these symptoms every day. Furthermore, while a number of highly effective treatments have been tested in large randomized clinical trials for anxiety-based disorders, the individuals who have been studied in the context of these trials are not necessarily demographically or clinically representative of the full scope of those who are burdened by anxiety symptoms. In addition, there remain significant disparities in access to evidence-based treatments for anxiety symptoms for a variety of populations, including those seeking care in non-specialty community settings, individuals who are recent immigrants or refugees, at-risk children and adolescents in under-resourced inner-city settings, those living in rural/remote locations, and other groups who may be reticent to seek help for anxiety symptoms because of stigma around mental health treatment.  

The healthcare burden and deleterious impact on quality of life for countless individuals struggling with anxiety symptoms across these diverse populations are significant and have been well-documented in the literature. Given this compelling data highlighting the examination of anxiety pathology and differential treatment access in these groups, an increasing number of mental health researchers and providers have been turning their focus to reducing the health disparities in anxiety and its related disorders globally. This Special Issue in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is dedicated to highlighting the current efforts being made by each of you to address and reduce this disparity in access to care, the examination of effective treatment ingredients, and the assessment of the implementation of treatments and policies relating to anxiety symptoms.

Your contribution in the form of original research or reviews falling under the umbrella of health disparities in anxiety and its related disorders (e.g., post-traumatic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder) in a variety of populations (particularly those which have been understudied to date) will be considered. Papers that present ongoing implementation efforts or a policy roll-out that is currently underway related to reducing such disparities will also be considered. It is hoped that this Issue will shine a much needed spotlight on what our field is doing to address the current inequalities in the application of effective interventions and the assessment of anxiety symptoms across a broader range of individuals who deserve better care.

Dr. Anu Asnaani
Guest Editor

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