Generalized anxiety disorder: prevalence, burden, and cost to society

By Hans-Ulrich Wittchen. Depression and Anxiety, 2002

746 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a prevalent and disabling disorder characterized by persistent worrying, anxiety symptoms, and tension. It is the most frequent anxiety disorder in primary care, being present in 22% of primary care patients who complain of anxiety problems. The high prevalence rate of GAD in primary care (8%) compared to that reported in the general population (12‐month prevalence 1.9–5.1%) suggests that GAD patients are high users of primary care resources. GAD affects women more frequently than men and prevalence rates are high in midlife (prevalence in females over age 35: 10%) and older subjects but relatively low in adolescents. The natural course of GAD can be characterized as chronic with few complete remissions, a waxing and waning course of GAD symptoms, and the occurrence of substantial comorbidity particularly with depression. Patients with GAD demonstrate a considerable degree of impairment and disability, even in its pure form, uncomplicated by depression or other mental disorders. The degree of impairment is similar to that of cases with major depression. GAD comorbid with depression usually reveals considerably higher numbers of disability days in the past month than either condition in its pure form. As a result, GAD is associated with a significant economic burden owing to decreased work productivity and increased use of health care services, particularly primary health care. The appropriate use of psychological treatments and antidepressants may improve both anxiety and depression symptoms and may also play a role in preventing comorbid major depression in GAD thus reducing the burden on both the individual and society. Depression and Anxiety 16:162–171, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Subfields: Clinical Psychology, Experimental and Cognitive Psychology, Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/488a835b9aa60212d5198c7ee7ba4d06ad4161f3

How researchers see this paper

The researchers whose trusted networks rank it highest, strongest advocate first. Every researcher gets a different order.

In Clinical Psychology

In Experimental and Cognitive Psychology

In Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Citations in the corpus

Factor structure, reliability, and item parameters of the brazilian-portuguese version of the GAD-7 questionnaire (2016, background): “GAD is one of the most common mental disorders and the most prevalent disorder in the anxiety disorders group (Wittchen, 2002).”
Canadian clinical practice guidelines for the management of anxiety, posttraumatic stress and obsessive-compulsive disorders (2014, background): “Anxiety has a considerable economic impact on society as well, being associated with greater use of health care services [5,18] and decreased work productivity [18,19].”
The efficacy of internet-delivered treatment for generalized anxiety disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis (2015, background): “GAD represents a significant cost to society due to disability, decreased work productivity and increased use of health care services (Wittchen, 2002).”
The Beck Anxiety Inventory in Older Adults With Generalized Anxiety Disorder (2005, background): “It is the most common anxiety disorder in primary care and is associated with increased morbidity, functional impairment, and overutilization of health care services as well as decreased quality of life (Ballenger et al., 2001; Roy-Byrne & Katon, 1997; Wetherell et al., 2004; Wittchen, 2002 ).”
Clinician-Assisted Internet-Based Treatment is Effective for Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Randomized Controlled Trial (2009, background): “People with GAD make considerable use of general health-care facilities [7,8], visiting their doctor twice as frequently as patients with comparable chronic physical conditions and similar demographic characteristics [9].”