generalized anxiety disorder

Prevalence of GAD

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is one of the most common mental illness in the United States encountered by primary care physicians (ER, 2015). Anxiety may be normal in day to day life because people may worry about things like health, family, money, work, and other things. However, individuals with GAD may feel worried excessively or feel nervous about certain things even if there is no reason to (ER, 2015). People with GAD often find it difficult to control their anxiety and stay focused on daily tasks. Despite all these, GAD can still be treated.

The 12-month prevalence for GAD is 3.1% of US adult population according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIH, 2018). Again 3.5% of these cases are classified as severe, however, no data is reported on gender distribution of the condition. 12-month Healthcare Use is 43.2% of the patients with the disorder, and 43.7% of those receiving treatment receives less adequate treatment, and this represents 18.9% of those with the disorder (NIH, 2018).

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