Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 20, 2026
04:20
Social Isolation Model: A Noninvasive Rodent Model of Stress and Anxiety
Published on: November 11, 2022
Generalized anxiety disorder: between neglect and an epidemic
Vladan Starcevic1, Michael E Portman, Aaron T Beck
1University of Sydney, Sydney Medical School-Nepean, Discipline of Psychiatry, Sydney, NSW, Australia. starcev@wahs.nsw.gov.au
The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease
|August 2, 2012
Summary
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) diagnosis faces challenges due to a lack of specific features in DSM-5. Proposed criteria may increase false positives, artificially inflating GAD prevalence.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
- Mental Health Diagnostics
Background:
- Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is characterized by pathological worry.
- Current diagnostic criteria for GAD lack specificity.
- The upcoming DSM-5 criteria aim to revise GAD diagnosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review key issues in the concept and diagnosis of GAD.
- To examine the proposed DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for GAD.
- To assess the potential impact of proposed DSM-5 changes on GAD diagnosis and prevalence.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of GAD diagnostic challenges.
- Analysis of proposed DSM-5 criteria for GAD.
- Evaluation of diagnostic specificity and threshold changes.
Main Results:
- The DSM-5 criteria do not address the lack of specific features for GAD.
- Pathological worry remains the hallmark but is not exclusive to GAD.
- Proposed behavioral criteria lack specificity and clear assessment methods.
- The diagnostic threshold for GAD in DSM-5 is expected to be lowered.
- This may lead to the inclusion of "false-positive" cases, increasing GAD prevalence artificially.
Conclusions:
- The proposed DSM-5 changes may not improve GAD recognition or clinical utility.
- Lowering the diagnostic threshold could lead to an overestimation of GAD prevalence.
- Further negative consequences may arise from the artificial inflation of GAD prevalence.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a chronic condition characterized by excessive and uncontrollable worry that persists for at least six months, significantly interfering with daily functioning. Unlike situational anxiety, which arises in response to specific stressors, GAD often occurs without a clear cause. Individuals may experience disproportionate worry about work, health, or relationships. For instance, a person might continuously fear poor health despite normal medical evaluations or...
01:18Anxiety: Overview
Anxiety is a common mental disorder featuring excessive worry, fear, and apprehension, significantly affecting daily life. People with anxiety disorders experience persistent and intense anxiety, interrupting their everyday functioning.
Individuals with anxiety often experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms, including sweating, trembling, tachycardia, and disturbances in sleep patterns. These symptoms vary in intensity and frequency but are generally disruptive and distressing.
Individuals with anxiety often experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms, including sweating, trembling, tachycardia, and disturbances in sleep patterns. These symptoms vary in intensity and frequency but are generally disruptive and distressing.
01:27Panic Disorder
Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent and sudden minutes-long episodes of intense fear, known as panic attacks. These attacks may feel like heart attacks and often happen without warning or a specific cause. They can include symptoms such as rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, chest pain, trembling, sweating, dizziness, and a sense of helplessness. During a panic attack, individuals may feel as though they are experiencing a heart attack or are in a...
01:28Social Anxiety Disorder
Social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia, is characterized by an intense fear of social situations where one might face humiliation, rejection, embarrassment, or negative evaluation. This disorder leads individuals to avoid activities like casual conversations, public speaking, or seemingly simple tasks such as eating, signing documents, or swimming, in public settings. Its impact extends beyond discomfort, often significantly interfering with daily functioning and quality of life.
01:28Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is a complex and severe eating disorder characterized by an intense fear of weight gain, an unrelenting pursuit of thinness, and a distorted body image. It often leads to dangerously low body weight relative to an individual's age and height. This disorder is marked by significant physical and psychological consequences, making it one of the most life-threatening psychiatric illnesses.
Symptoms and Physical Effects
Individuals with anorexia nervosa commonly exhibit extreme...
Symptoms and Physical Effects
Individuals with anorexia nervosa commonly exhibit extreme...
01:28Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition characterized by recurrent obsessions, compulsions, or both, which consume significant time and interfere with daily functioning. Obsessions involve persistent, intrusive, and unwanted thoughts, images, or urges that evoke anxiety. Common examples include irrational fears of contamination or harm. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors or mental acts performed to reduce the anxiety caused by obsessions. For instance, individuals...