Nature, assessment, and treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder in children

GAD in children is characterized by excessive and uncontrollable worry about a number of events and activities in daily life. GAD is a prevalent and chronic disorder that is highly comorbid with other psychiatric disorders and has a significant affect on a child's life. Reliable and valid methods are available with which to assess childhood anxiety (eg, structured interviews and questionnaires). Furthermore, efficacious treatments for anxious children have emerged, with CBT the treatment of choice. In recent years, our understanding of childhood anxiety disorders has grown exponentially. Much of our understanding of GAD, however, is still reliant on studies of children with a range of anxiety disorders. Future research is needed that specifically examines children with GAD compared with anxious, depressed children without GAD. Such research would aid in the identification of factors unique to GAD, improve assessment methods and potentially enhance treatments for children with GAD.