Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) Lecture Notes

Vocabulary flashcards covering the symptoms, diagnosis, prevalence, psychopathology models, modern cognitive-behavioral theories, and biological aspects of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptoms

General psychological symptoms including feeling nervous, irritable, or on edge, feeling danger, doom, or panic, experiencing difficulty sleeping, and concentration problems.

Physiological Symptoms of GAD

Physical symptoms associated with GAD, including elevated heart rate, rapid breathing, sweating, shaking, fatigue, tiredness, muscle tension, and gastrointestinal (GI) issues.

GAD Diagnostic Criteria

Diagnostic requirements for GAD including at least three symptoms, worry that is difficult to control, occurring more days than not, for a duration of at least 6 months.

Prevalence of GAD

Statistical frequency of GAD where 3-5% of people have diagnosable symptoms per year and 7% are diagnosed during their lifetime, presenting with a range of severity.

Sociocultural Model of GAD

A model proposing that GAD is driven by environmental stress, identifying poverty, crime, and violence as risk factors (with higher rates during the COVID pandemic), while noting that the majority of people in stressful environments do not develop the disorder.

Psychodynamic Model of GAD

A model asserting GAD is caused by developmental experiences and critical/overprotective parenting (where children get in trouble too often or are not exposed to challenges), with treatment focused on processing childhood relationships.

Humanistic Model of GAD

A perspective stating GAD is caused by low self-acceptance, denial of thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, and conditions of worth, though research support for this model is lacking.

Basic Irrational Assumptions

Core maladaptive assumptions in cognitive-behavioral theory, such as believing one must be loved by everyone, that it is a catastrophe when things go wrong, that any possible danger should cause terrible concern, and that one must be competent, adequate, and achieving to be worthy.

Rational Emotive Therapy (RET)

A Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy approach that focuses on replacing maladaptive, irrational assumptions with functional beliefs.

Metacognitive Theory

A modern cognitive-behavioral theory suggesting GAD is driven by an individual's positive and negative beliefs about worrying.

Intolerance of Uncertainty Theory

A modern cognitive-behavioral theory positing that the mere possibility of a negative event occurring directly leads to anxiety.

Avoidance Theory

A modern cognitive-behavioral theory stating that worry functions to help reduce or avoid uncomfortable bodily arousal.

GABA Neurotransmitter

An inhibitory neurotransmitter that stops neurons from firing; low GABA levels lead to an over-functioning fear circuit in the brain.

Benzodiazepines

A class of sedative-hypnotic medications introduced in the 1950s—including Xanax, Lorazepam, and Klonopin—that help or mimic GABA and are effective compared to placebo.

Side Effects and Limitations of Benzodiazepines

Drawbacks of benzodiazepine treatment including short-lived effects, physical dependency, drug interactions, and side effects affecting coordination, memory, and depression.