A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER
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Keywords

Generalized Anxiety Disorder, GAD, cognitive-behavioural therapy, CBT, pharmacotherapy, SSRIs, SNRIs, digital interventions, epidemiology, clinical features, cognitive-emotional mechanisms, neurobiology, treatment strategies, comorbidity, mental health, anxiety disorders.

Abstract

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a prevalent and often chronic psychiatric condition characterized by excessive, uncontrollable worry occurring across multiple domains for at least six months [1]. Despite its high burden, GAD remains underdiagnosed and undertreated [2]. This article provides a comprehensive overview of GAD: its epidemiology and clinical features, underlying mechanisms (cognitive, biological, neural, interpersonal), diagnostic issues, and current treatment paradigms (psychological, pharmacological, digital) [3,4]. We review and compare findings from key studies, highlight areas of agreement and divergence, and point to gaps for future research [5,6]. In conclusion, while evidence supports the efficacy of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and first‐line pharmacotherapy (SSRIs/SNRIs) [2,7], emerging modalities such as digital interventions and novel biological targets warrant further investigation to improve outcomes and reduce the care gap [6,8].

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