ABSTRACT
Children with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) are plagued by worries that most children are able to shrug off. Often regarded as “little adults,” these youth are overly concerned with issues usually viewed as the business of adults such as the family finances, the neighbors' marital conflict, and the impact of the weather on driving conditions. For a youth with GAD, these worries become a central focus of cognitive activity and disrupt adjustment and development. For example, one youth constantly worried about what was going to happen next in family life (e.g., errands out of the home) and whether things were going okay (e.g., worried constantly about the driving route of his mother), leading to his persistently asking his mother for updates and information. The questions were a tremendous distraction for her and led to her feeling angry at the young boy. This chapter reviews the current state of the empirical knowledge concerning GAD in youth.1 First, the current status of the classification of the disorder is examined, including a brief review of relevant theoretical work on anxiety and worry. Second, epidemiological, course and outcome, and comorbidity data are reported and discussed. Third, risk and protective factors associated with GAD are considered. Fourth, research on the assessment, treatment, and prevention of the disorder are reviewed. Finally, future directions are highlighted.
