A APLICAÇÃO DO GAD-7 COMO INSTRUMENTO DE AVALIAÇÃO PARA TRANSTORNO DE ANSIEDADE GENERALIZADA NA TERAPIA OCUPACIONAL

Generalized anxiety disorder represents one of the most prevalent mental health problems in the contemporary population, characterized by excessive worry and disabling physical symptoms that significantly compromise individuals’ functioning and quality of life. Occupational therapy emerges as a relevant therapeutic approach in the treatment of these disorders, promoting the rehabilitation of physical, cognitive, and social skills through meaningful activities. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) instrument is a validated psychometric tool for screening and assessing generalized anxiety, making it possible to objectively measure symptom severity. Objective: to analyze the influence of anxiety disorder in students of a federal technical high school, using the GAD-7 scale and its relationship with occupational therapy, as well as the occupational therapy interventions that can be implemented based on the results obtained with the instrument. Methodology: this is a quantitative study, with a descriptive and exploratory design, aimed at identifying levels of anxiety symptoms and their relationship with aspects of occupational performance in occupational therapy students. Results: the quantitative analysis included sociodemographic profile, score distribution, and classification of participants according to the GAD-7. The sample consisted of 41 participants, 73.1% female and 26.9% male. Age ranged from 18 to 54 years, with a mean of 31.7 years. The age distribution showed a predominance of the 18–25 and 26–35-year groups. The most affected domains were nervousness/tension, excessive worry, and irritability. Women showed higher mean scores (13.2) compared to men (9.1). Conclusion: the data revealed that younger students and women present greater emotional vulnerability and a predominance of moderate and severe anxiety, which significantly influences the results, especially due to study overload, multiple activities, and financial insecurities