Overview
Anxiety disorders account for a major portion of common childhood behavioral and mental health concerns. Lifetime prevalence of anxiety disorders ranges from 8.3% to 27% depending on the level of impairment that is measured.1 Within the pediatric population, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) has a prevalence of approximately 15%, making it the second most common pediatric anxiety diagnosis.1 GAD symptoms tend to appear infrequently in young children and become more prevalent in adolescent populations.2Despite their high prevalence, anxiety disorders are underrecognized and undertreated in adolescents.1 In 2011, anxiety disorders were diagnosed in only 22% of adolescent patients who fit the diagnosis criteria in primary care settings.3
GAD presents as multiple, excessive, age-inappropriate worries about a variety of issues that occur for an extended period of time. Associated symptoms include feeling on edge or restless, being easily fatigued, muscle tension, difficulty sleeping, and problems with concentration.4 The symptoms of GAD cause distress in the affected person's daily life, disrupt his or her ability to have normal peer relationships, negatively impact family functioning, and cause clinically significant impairment and distress in social, occupational, and other important areas.1,4