Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Children and Adolescents

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is one of the most common anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. Youth with GAD experience frequent worry about a number of different topics. They may worry about something that might happen in the future (e.g., a test or dentist appointment) or something that happened in the past (e.g., doing something embarrassing, doing poorly on a homework assignment). Common worries include school performance, interpersonal relationships, making mistakes, personal health or the health of loved ones, family finances, and things going on in the world at large (e.g., war, natural disasters, etc.).

Symptoms

  • At times, youth with GAD may feel like they can’t stop worrying. As a result of this worry, it is common to experience uncomfortable physical sensations (e.g., sweaty palms, stomachaches)
  • High levels of anxiety and worry also may cause feelings of restlessness, irritability, trouble concentrating, muscle tension, and trouble sleeping
  • In order to meet diagnostic criteria for GAD, the worries must be interfering with the child’s life to a significant degree. This means that occasional worry does not mean that your child has GAD. It also is important to remember that some worry occurs within the context of other disorders, such as Social Phobia or Panic Disorder.

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