Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)

Generalized anxiety disorder is a mental health condition marked by persistent, excessive worry about many areas of life that is difficult to control and lasts for at least six months.

Unlike situational anxiety, the worry shifts from topic to topic, such as health, finances, work and family, and is out of proportion to actual circumstances. It is accompanied by restlessness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, irritability, muscle tension and sleep disturbance. The disorder often begins in early adulthood, runs in families and commonly overlaps with depression and other anxiety disorders.

Diagnosis is made through clinical interview against standard criteria, supported by questionnaires such as the GAD-7, after excluding thyroid disease, substance effects and other medical causes. Cognitive behavioral therapy and certain antidepressant medications are the established treatments. Generalized anxiety disorder has been included in cannabidiol anxiety research, and although some findings are promising, they rest on small clinical samples.