Identification and Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Children in Primary Care

Youth with anxiety often present to their pediatricians with a chief complaint of physical symptoms without any mention of anxiety or worry. Even in the absence of reported symptoms of anxiety in such presentations, screening for an anxiety disorder as the potential source of the somatic complaints should be pursued. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a common disorder characterized by excessive anxiety and worry about a number of events coupled with at least one physical symptom. GAD is commonly underdiagnosed and treated. Consequently, many youth undergo extensive medical testing in search of a cause for their somatic symptoms before anxiety is considered. It is important to screen for anxiety early in the process of evaluating somatic complaints. This review highlights the evidence base for identifying and treating GAD in children and provides an update on its epidemiology and etiology. [Pediatr Ann. 2016;45(10):e349-e355.].