Comparative study measuring anxiety in citizens between Greece and Cyprus

Introduction: Stress is a normal reaction of the body to daily stressful events that usually leads to Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Although Greece and Cyprus dispose common cultural elements, there are economic and social differences that affect the daily lives of citizens. Aims: To identify and compare the stress levels in citizens of Greece and Cyprus in order to evaluate whether and to what extent these levels are influenced by the daily socio-economic circumstances of each country. Methodology: The Spielberger State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was used which has been used and evaluated in Greek language. The questionnaire composed of 40 statements, which measure the emotional state of the participant at the time of filling in the questionnaire-state anxiety (20 statements), as well as the emotional state of the person in general-trait anxiety (20 statements). The sample (n = 450) were citizens from Greece (nG = 276) and Cyprus (nC = 174). The statistical package SPSS 25 was used to analyze the data with a level of statistical significance p <0.05. Results: In Greece and Cyprus, citizens have moderate state anxiety (score 50 and 42 respectively). Regarding trait anxiety, Greek citizens had a moderate level (score 46), while Cypriots had a low level (score 36). It is worth noting that women experience both of these emotions to a lesser extent than men (p <0.05), Greeks experience permanent stress to a greater level than Cypriots (p <0.05), while married people experience more state anxiety compared to single (p <0.05). Conclusions: The present research found that citizens in both countries experienced a psychological depression mood. In particular, it was observed that Greeks experience less intense feelings such as rest, security and calm due to the fact that Greece was faced with such conditions for much longer time than Cypriot’s citizens.