Generalized Anxiety Disorder 5
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is an anxiety condition that manifests as persistent worries about many different things. It may involve work, money, school, relationships, and other aspects of a person’s life. The disorder causes significant distress, impairment in psychosocial functioning, and a decreased quality of life.
GAD is commonly comorbid with major depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The disorder can be characterized by a combination of physical and psychological symptoms, including autonomic hyperactivity, restlessness, fatigue, and unexplained pain. In addition, people who suffer from GAD experience frequent panic attacks, which are sudden periods of intense fear.
People with GAD tend to have a more negative view of the world. They interpret normal situations as catastrophic and worry about life’s future. These fears cause them to be on edge and unable to reason with themselves.
Some studies suggest that GAD has a greater prevalence in men than women. However, GAD affects individuals of all sexes. Studies of nationally representative samples report the lifetime prevalence of GAD to be between 5.1 and 11.9 percent.
Studies in low-income countries found the proportion of participants with severe GAD-related impairment to be lower than in high-income countries. This was more common for earlier-onset cases. Moreover, people with lower educational levels and family income had a higher persistence of generalized anxiety disorder.
A small minority of patients in China and Mexico reported significant impairment. In Europe, the average lifetime prevalence of GAD was 4.3 to 5.9 percent.
