[Generalized anxiety and depression should be diagnosis classified together]

Generalized anxiety disorder has a high prevalence in Denmark. From being an exclusion diagnosis to other anxiety disorders, the classification criteria have been made more strict in recent editions of international classifications. However, a marked comorbidity with depression questions the nosological status of generalized anxiety disorder. A review of psychiatric and psychological studies focusing on nosological aspects is presented, supporting that generalized anxiety disorder may be more appropriately classified together with depression as distress disorders.