Treatment
This therapy approach views worry as a normal internal experience.
ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy)
At what age does GAD commonly begin?
Adolescence or early adulthood
what physical symptoms are often associated with GAD?
restlessness, fatigue, irritability, sleep disturbances.
How does the CAM work?
prevents unexpected emotional shifts by maintaining a sustained negative emotional state through worrying
what distingueshes generalized anxiety disorder from typical feelings of anxiety and stress related to stressful events?
(in GAD) worries typically interfere with everyday life and are out of proportion to the circumstances.
This psychotherapy is considered the gold standard for treating GAD and focuses on identifying and restructuring maladaptive thought patterns.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Growing up in a highly stressful or unpredictable environment is what type of risk factor for GAD?
An environmental risk factor.
in what context are the worries often associated?
school, work, personal life, health, ect.... (everyday events)
What is the goal of CAM?
lessen emotional impacts/spikes in emotion because individual is already in a negative state
How often/for how long must the worries be ongoing to make a diagnosis?
more days than not, at least six months.
This class of medications increases serotonin and norepinephrine and includes drugs like Venlafaxine and Duloxetine.
SNRIs
How long must excessive worry last to meet the criteria for GAD?
At least 6 months
How many physical symptoms are necessary in adults for diagnosis?
three
How does CAM explain why individuals with GAD resist relaxation?
relaxation increases positive states, therefore when something negative happens the emotional contrast is a lot larger/distressing.
relaxation feels unsafe because of the increase in contrast
What distinguishes generalized anxiety disorder from other anxiety disorders (like social anxiety)
Worries tend to be about a broader range of life circumstances and everyday events.
These medications work within minutes to reduce anxiety but carry a risk of dependence and are not recommended for long-term treatment.
Benzodiazepines
What psychological trait involves difficulty tolerating uncertainty and contributes to excessive worrying?
Intolerance of uncertainty
How many physical symptoms are necessary in children for diagnosis?
One
What is a limitation of CAM?
does not explain all forms of worry in GAD
some individuals may worry because of threat, uncertainty, or cognitive avoidance rather than emotional contrast sensitivity alone
When is diagnosis for GAD most common?
Teen years
For GAD, antidepressant medications such as SSRIs and SNRIs are typically continued for at least this length of time after symptom improvement to reduce relapse risk.
6–12 months
What is the main function of GABA in relation to anxiety?
It reduces brain activity and helps calm the nervous system
What is the main difference between symptom's experienced by younger adults compared to those by older individuals?
the context of the worries (younger individuals tend to be anxious about school/work performance or catastrophic events, while older individuals are more likely to be anxious about health related thing/falling)
How do parenting styles affect GAD positively and negatively?
Positive effects: encouraging emotional expression, strong coping skills, secure attachment
- development of confidence in handling emotional uncertainty
Negative effects: Authoritarian parents emphasize obedience, punishment, and high control with little emotional warmth.
- Child learns the world is rigid and threatening, Emotional expression is discouraged, Fear of mistakes and criticism develops, Hypervigilance to disapproval increases
approx what percentage of adults are diagnosed with GAD in a YEAR?
~2-3%