Behavioral Health Conditions
Anxiety
Anxiety disorders have been shown to be independently associated with several physical conditions. Results from a large study, the German Health Survey, revealed that after adjusting for socio-demographic factors and other common behavioral conditions, the presence of an anxiety disorder was significantly associated with thyroid disease, respiratory disease, gastrointestinal disease, arthritis, migraine headaches, and allergic conditions. This comorbidity also was shown to be significantly associated with poor quality of life and disability.
Could your patients be suffering from anxiety? The tools on this page can help.
GAD-7 is a seven-question screening tool that identifies whether a complete assessment for anxiety is indicated.
GAD-7 SCORING: Scores of 5, 10, and 15 are taken as the cut-off points for mild, moderate and severe anxiety, respectively. When used as a screening tool, further evaluation is recommended when the score is 10 or greater
Previously adopted:
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder Clinical Practice Guideline (PDF)
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Clinical Practice Guideline (PDF)
- The American Psychiatric Association's (APA) Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients With Panic Disorder, Second Edition (January 2009) and the companion Quick Reference Guide
- Anxiety
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Should I Take Medicine for OCD?
- Panic Attacks and Panic Disorder
- Panic Disorder: Should I Take Medicine?
- Phobias
Conduct your own keyword search in our Healthwise library for more resources to help your patients make better health decisions.
Common signs and symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder include:
- Chronic, excessive worry or irritability
- Frequent fatigue, restlessness or insomnia
- Trembling, heart palpitations or increased heart rate
- Dizziness or light-headedness
- Cold, clammy hands or sweating
- Nausea, diarrhea
- Dry mouth
- Hot flashes or chills
- Difficulty concentrating or mind going blank
- Muscle tension, aches, soreness