Overview
Anxiety is diagnosed based on a set of criteria outlined in the Fifth Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders(DSM-5, APA, 2013). For diagnostic and organizational purposes, the DSM groups similar disorders together based on shared commonalities. Several diagnoses fall under the umbrella of Anxiety Disorders, these include Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, and Panic Disorder. We will focus on Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
Diagnositc Criteria of Generalized Anxiety Disorder
A.) Excessive anxiety and worry, occurring more days than not, for at least 6 months, about a number of events or activities including work, school or performances
B.) The individual finds it difficult to control the worry
C.) The anxiety and worry are associated with three (or more) of the following, with some present more days than not, over the past six months:
E.) The worry causes clinically significant impairments in areas of daily functioning
B.) The individual finds it difficult to control the worry
C.) The anxiety and worry are associated with three (or more) of the following, with some present more days than not, over the past six months:
- Restlessnessof feeling keyed up or on edge
- Being easily fatigued
- Difficulty concentrating or mind going blank
- Irritability
- Muscle tension
- Sleep disturbance
E.) The worry causes clinically significant impairments in areas of daily functioning
Diagnostic Criteria Explanied
- The key component when diagnosing Generalized Anxiety Disorder is the presence of excessive worry regarding a number of different activities or in different environments. The presence of anxiety across different settings and occurring in different activates help to distinguish GAD from other anxiety disorders. Another key difference with everyday worry is that GAD leads to a disproportionate amount of anticipatedworrying before events. This type of disproportionate worry is often pervasive and distressing to the individual and typically lasts for longer periods than expected.
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Phillips, K.