Overview of generalized anxiety disorder in the elderly

Both situational anxiety and pathologic anxiety are common in the elderly. Pathologic anxiety, however, may significantly disable a previously functioning older adult. Moderate-to-severe anxiety is important to accurately diagnose and treat in older persons in order to improve daily functioning and because individual symptoms of anxiety can be easily confused with even more severe geropsychiatric disorders such as dementia, delirium, depression, and psychosis. These particular symptoms include impaired concentration and attention, impaired memory, dizziness, disabling fear, severe insomnia, and hypervigilance, among others. This article will review epidemiology, characteristics of anxiety in late-life, patterns of medication use, and treatment.