Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Question 1

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Criteria A

Answer 1

Excessive anxiety and worry (apprehensive expectation, occurring more days than not for at least 6 months about a number of events or activities (such as work or school performance).

Question 2

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Criteria B

Answer 2

The individual finds it difficult to control the worry.

Question 3

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Criteria C

Answer 3

The anxiety and worry are associated with 3 (or more) of the following 6 symptoms (with at least some symptoms having been present for more days than not for the past 6 months):

Note: Only 1 item is required in children.

1) Restlessness or feeling keyed up or on edge.
2) Being easily fatigued.
3) Difficulty concentrating or mind going blank.
4) Irritability.
5) Muscle Tension
6) Sleep disturbance (difficulty falling or staying asleep, or restless, or unsatisfying sleep.

Question 4

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Criteria D

Answer 4

The anxiety, worry, or physical symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

Question 5

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Criteria E

Answer 5

The disturbance is not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication) or another medical condition (e.g., hyperthyroidism).

Question 6

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Criteria F

Answer 6

The disturbance is not better explained by another mental disorder (e.g., anxiety or worry about having panic attacks in panic disorder, negative evaluation in social anxiety disorder, contamination or other obsessions in obsessive-compulsive disorder, separation from attachment figures in separation anxiety disorder, reminders of traumatic events in posttraumatic stress disorder, gaining weight in anorexia nervosa, physical complaints in somatic symptom disorder, perceived appearance flaws in body dysmorphic disorder, having a serious illness in illness anxiety disorder, or the content of delusional beliefs in schizophrenia or delusional disorder).