Generalized Anxiety Disorder in youth: diagnostic considerations
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Courtney L Benjamin1, Rinad S Beidas, Jonathan S Comer
1Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, USA. courtney.benjamin@temple.edu
Background:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) in youth is characterized by excessive worry across domains for ≥ 6 months, an inability to stop worrying, and at least one physiological symptom. This study examined the multiple domains that optimally distinguish (1) GAD youth from nonanxiety-disordered youth and (2) GAD youth from other anxiety-disordered youth.
Methods:
Receiver operating characteristic analyses examined a sample of youth (N=180) aged 7-13 (M=10.10; 52% male), to determine optimal cut scores to distinguish GAD youth from (1) nonanxiety-disordered youth and (2) other anxiety-disordered youth. The diagnostic efficiency of worries and physiological symptoms was also examined.
Results:
By parent report, three worries and four physiological symptoms had favorable cut scores, and several specific worries possessed high diagnostic efficiency. Children endorsed fewer GAD symptoms.
Conclusions:
Recommendations are made regarding the criteria for GAD in youth and interview sequencing of symptom queries.
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