Symptoms of anxiety were observed monthly from mid-March 2021 to mid-June 2022 (see Figure 1 ) with two short data gaps (mid-May 2021 to mid-June 2021 and January 2022). The indicator was measured with the established ultra-brief screening instrument “Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2” (GAD-2), which has been found to perform well as a screening tool for anxiety disorders in the German general population (88 (link)). The GAD-2 captures the frequency of two core symptoms of anxiety disorders, asking, “Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by the following problems?”: (1) “feeling nervous, anxious or on edge” (2) “not being able to stop or control worrying” (possible responses: 0 = “not at all,” 1 = “several days,” 2 = “more than half the days,” 3 = “nearly every day”). The total score of the GAD-2 ranges from 0 to 6 (no symptoms to severe symptoms). Scores ≥ 3 represent a positive screen for possible anxiety disorder, including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder (88 (link)). In our analytical sample, the internal consistency of the GAD-2 is α = 0.67 (standardized alpha unstandardized α = 0.66), almost the same value as in a comparable German sample (45 (link)). Just as with depressive symptoms, two measures are reported: (1) the mean anxiety symptom score and (2) the proportion of the adult population screening positive for possible anxiety disorder.
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