Generalized anxiety disorder history and symptoms
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
There are several disorders that have a tendency to co-occur with generalized anxiety disorder. These include; major depressive disorder, panic disorder, social phobia, agoraphobia, substance abuse, irritable bowel syndrome and sleep disorders.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Comorbid Depression
- In the National Comorbidity Survey (2005), 58% of patients diagnosed with major depression were found to have an anxiety disorder.
- Among these patients, the rate of comorbidity with GAD was 17.2%, and with panic disorder, 9.9%.
- Patients with a diagnosed anxiety disorder also had high rates of comorbid depression, including 22.4% of patients with social phobia, 9.4% with agoraphobia, and 2.3% with panic disorder.
- For many, the symptoms of both depression and anxiety are not severe enough (i.e. are subsyndromal) to justify a primary diagnosis of either major depressive disorder (MDD) or an anxiety disorder.
- Patients can also be categorized as having mixed anxiety-depressive disorder, and they are at significantly increased risk of developing full-blown depression or anxiety.
- Appropriate treatment is necessary to alleviate symptoms and prevent the emergence of more serious disease.
- Accumulating evidence indicates that patients with comorbid depression and anxiety tend to have greater illness severity and a lower treatment response than those with either disorder alone.
- In addition, social function and quality of life are more greatly impaired.
- In addition to coexisting with depression, research shows that GAD often coexists with substance abuse or other conditions associated with stress, such as irritable bowel syndrome.
- Patients with physical symptoms such as insomnia or headaches should also tell their doctors about their feelings of worry and tension.
- This will help the patient's health care provider to recognize whether the person is suffering from GAD.