<unk>  <unk>  is a mental and behavioral disorder, specifically an anxiety disorder characterized by excessive, uncontrollable and often irrational worry about events or activities. Worry often interferes with daily functioning, and sufferers are often overly concerned about everyday matters such as health, finances, death, family, relationship concerns, or work difficulties. Symptoms may include excessive worry, restlessness, trouble sleeping, exhaustion, irritability, sweating, and trembling. Symptoms must be consistent and ongoing, persisting at least six months, for a formal diagnosis of<unk> . Individuals with<unk>  often suffer from other disorders including other psychiatric disorders (e.g., major depressive disorder), substance use disorder, obesity, and may have a history of trauma or family with<unk> . Clinicians use screening tools such as the<unk> -7 and<unk> -2 questionnaires to determine if individuals may have<unk>  and warrant formal evaluation for the disorder. Additionally, sometimes screening tools may enable clinicians to evaluate the severity of<unk>  symptoms.<unk>  is believed to have a hereditary or genetic basis (e.g., first-degree relatives of an individual who has<unk>  are themselves more likely to have<unk>  but the exact nature of this relationship is not fully appreciated. Genetic studies of individuals who have anxiety disorders (including<unk>  suggest that the hereditary contribution to developing anxiety disorders is only approximately 30-40%, which suggests that environmental factors may be more important to determining whether an individual develops<unk> . The pathophysiology of<unk>  implicates several regions of the brain that mediate the processing of stimuli associated with fear, anxiety, memory, and emotion (i.e., the amygdala, insula and the frontal cortex). It has been suggested that individuals with<unk>  have greater amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) activity in response to stimuli than individuals who do not have<unk> . However, the relationship between<unk>  and activity levels in other parts of the frontal cortex is the subject of ongoing research with some literature suggesting greater activation in specific regions for individuals who have<unk>  but where other research suggests decreased activation levels in individuals who have<unk>  as compared to individuals who do not have<unk> . Treatment includes psychotherapy, e.g. cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or metacognitive therapy, and pharmacological intervention (e.g., citalopram, escitalopram, sertraline, duloxetine, and venlafaxine). CBT and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are first line psychological and pharmacological treatments; other options include selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). In Europe, pregabalin is also used. The positive effects (if any) of complementary and alternative medications (CAMs), exercise, therapeutic massage and other interventions have been studied. Estimates regarding prevalence of<unk>  or lifetime risk (i.e., lifetime morbid risk (LMR)) for<unk>  vary depending upon which criteria are used for diagnosing<unk>  (e.g., DSM-5 vs ICD-10) although estimates do not vary widely between diagnostic criteria. In general, ICD-10 is more inclusive than DSM-5, so estimates regarding prevalence and lifetime risk tend to be greater using ICD-10. In regard to prevalence, in a given year, about two (2%) percent of adults in the United States and Europe have been suggested to suffer<unk> . However, the risk of developing<unk>  at any point in life has been estimated at 9.0%. Although it is possible to experience a single episode of<unk>  during one's life, most people who experience<unk>  experience it repeatedly over the course of their lives as a chronic or ongoing condition.<unk>  is diagnosed twice as frequently in women as in men.
Generalized anxiety disorder
Hypochondriasis
Separation anxiety disorder
Social anxiety disorder
Blood phobia
Medication phobia
Anxiety disorder
Somatization disorder