Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Article Sections
Introduction
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is characterized by excessive, uncontrollable anxiety and worry about a range of everyday issues (eg, finances, health, relationships). The anxiety, which is associated with physical, emotional, and cognitive symptoms, results in significant functional impairment.
Epidemiology and risk factors
The estimated lifetime prevalence of GAD is 4%. Onset is typically during adulthood (usually the patient's 30s), and women appear to be affected at a higher rate than men (2:1 ratio).
Several factors may increase the likelihood of developing GAD, including genetic predisposition, psychological factors (eg, neuroticism, behavioral inhibition, introversion), and environmental factors (eg, parental overprotection, adverse childhood events, stressful/traumatic life events).
Clinical presentation
Anxiety is a general sense of unease about a perceived threat or unknown outcome and includes cognitive (eg, worry, concentration difficulties) and physical (eg, sweating, sleep disturbances) symptoms. Worry is characterized by repetitive, negative thinking (eg, worst possible outcome) about a specific, future event (eg, failing an upcoming examination).
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