Role of Anxiety in Individuals with Generalized Joint Hypermobility: A Systematic Review

Objective To present an overview of the existing knowledge of the presence of anxiety in individuals with generalized joint hypermobility (GJH) in different phases of their life. Data Sources Medline, PsychINFO, and Cochrane were searched from inception to late August 2024. Study Selection Observational studies that included participants aged >12 years with GJH without comorbidities and psychiatric conditions and provided any information regarding fear or anxiety symptoms. Data Extraction Extracted data included study and population characteristics and data regarding anxiety and pain. Data Synthesis Of the 532 identified articles, 32 were included, with a total number of 12,116 subjects. Most studies (n=24) included adults aged >21 years. In total, 11 studies included a population with asymptomatic GJH, and 21 included a sample with symptomatic GJH. Findings on the presence of anxiety were similar in all life phases in individuals with symptomatic GJH whereas in individuals with asymptomatic GJH, people in earlier life phases tended to report less anxiety. Pain complaints were highly frequent in populations with symptomatic GJH. Increased levels of anxiety seemed to be related to higher levels of hypermobility. The highest levels of anxiety were found in individuals with symptomatic GJH followed by those with asymptomatic GJH, who showed slightly increased (but not significant) different levels of anxiety than their peers without GJH. Conclusions Anxiety may be related to the different stages of the spectrum of GJH, in terms of severity. This review supports the need to screen for anxiety in individuals with GJH in all life phases independent of their complaints.