Clinical manifestations of anxiety disorders as predictors of political attitudes: a prospective cohort study

First published: August 13, 2021 https://doi.org/10.1002/ijop.12796

Commentary

It has been suggested that conservative political ideology is correlated with increased susceptibility to threat, but it is unclear whether susceptibility to threat and political attitudes can be observed in clinical measures of mental health.

This study will investigate whether anxiety disorders can predict attitudes toward several political issues.

There were 7,253 participants. Symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder, phobias, and panic were assessed in clinical interviews, and opinions about political issues were self-reported six years after the start of the intervention.

Results showed that anxiety symptoms were associated with heightened concerns about economic inequality, environmental conservation, distrust of politics, and poor work ethic, with no association identified with racist or authoritarian attitudes.

We assessed how participants' political attitudes at ages 33 and 42 predicted symptoms of anxiety disorders at age 44, revealing a possible bidirectional association between concerns about economic inequality and symptoms of anxiety disorders. These findings do not support an association between conservative political attitudes and increased susceptibility to threats, and indicate that heightened anxiety may increase concerns about social inequality and the environment.