Generalized anxiety disorder affects many people. It has a lifetime prevalence rate of 3.6% for men and 6.6% for women. Symptoms include excessive worry and anxiety, irritability, sleep disturbances, lack of concentration, fatigue, muscle tension and restlessness. To be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder these symptoms must be significant enough that they interfere with day-to-day functioning, such as at school, socially or at work.
Anxiety is a disabling disorder that is becoming increasingly prevalent. Research has indicated that there is a higher prevalence of anxiety in adults over age 35. There is also an overlap of depression and anxiety based disorders. The World Health Organization documented depression as the most common psychiatric disorder and anxiety as the second most common. The National Institute of Mental Health describes people with GAD as experiencing exaggerated worry and tension, despite there being little or nothing to provoke it.
Someone with anxiety frequently anticipates disasters, worries about the future or uncontrollable events and has an excessive concern with issues such as finance, work, family and health. It is costly to both the individual and society. It has been shown to lead to decreased work productivity and a higher use of health care services. Someone with anxiety typically experiences several somatic problems such as: headaches, muscle tension, gastrointestinal problems like irritable bowel syndrome and nausea, respiratory problems such as shortness of breath and difficulty swallowing, general fatigue, sweating, and lightheadedness. They commonly present with irritability, difficulty concentrating, sleep disturbance and somatic complaints. The onset of anxiety symptoms can occur at anytime during the lifespan but the average age is 31 years old.
According to the American Psychiatric Association an individual can be diagnosed with having a generalized anxiety disorder if they present with excessive anxiety and stress, occurring more days than not for at least 6 months about a number of events and activities. The individual must also find it difficult to control the worry and present with three or more of the following symptoms: restlessness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, irritability, muscle tension, and sleep disturbance. Anxiety is a high prevalent condition with lifetime occurrence rates reported as high as 5-6% for the general population. Research has a shown a one year anxiety disorder prevalence rate of 3.1% for the general population or 6.8 million Americans aged 18 years and older.
Research asserts that anxiety is one of the most common mental health disorders and that it is twice as prevalent as panic disorders. Anxiety is diagnosed more frequently in women, with rates as high as 10% being reported for women aged 40 years and older. Research has shown that a diagnosis of anxiety predicted an increased risk for coronary heart disease, independent of depression. They have also found significant association between having an anxiety disorder and thyroid disease, respiratory disease, gastrointestinal disease, arthritis, migraine headaches and allergic conditions. Anxiety disorders also have high correlations with depressive disorders. A diagnosis of anxiety is associated with low quality of life, poor self-perceived health and at least 3 days a month of limited or impaired health.