ABSTRACT
Worry is a common human affliction. According to a recent survey by the UK charity Place2Be, almost two-thirds of children in Year 6 worry ‘all the time’ about something.1 Top concerns were family, friends and not doing well at school. Research suggests that we worry less as we get older – but we still worry, especially about our health. People worry about lots of other things as well, of course, including money, work, health, relationships and what others think of them. When worry is excessive and uncontrollable, occurring on more days than not, and causing significant distress or impairment, it may qualify for a diagnosis of Generalised Anxiety Disorder. People diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder worry about the same things as other people, but perceive their worries as less controllable. Worry, anxiety and fear are closely related. Anxiety feels like fear, and worry is best thought of as the mental component of anxiety.
