Behavioral health conditions

Anxiety

Anxiety disorders have been shown to be independently associated with several physical conditions. Results from a large study, the German Health Survey, revealed that after adjusting for socio-demographic factors and other common behavioral conditions, the presence of an anxiety disorder was significantly associated with thyroid disease, respiratory disease, gastrointestinal disease, arthritis, migraine headaches, and allergic conditions. This comorbidity also was shown to be significantly associated with poor quality of life and disability.

Could your patients be suffering from anxiety? The tools on this page can help.

 

GAD-7 is a seven-question screening tool that identifies whether a complete assessment for anxiety is indicated.

GAD-7 SCORING: Scores of 5, 10, and 15 are taken as the cut-off points for mild, moderate and severe anxiety, respectively. When used as a screening tool, further evaluation is recommended when the score is 10 or greater.

Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED), ages 8-18 years, has 41 questions and includes sub-scales for types of anxiety. A parent can complete for their child.

Common signs and symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder include:

  • Chronic, excessive worry or irritability
  • Frequent fatigue, restlessness or insomnia
  • Trembling, heart palpitations or increased heart rate
  • Dizziness or light-headedness
  • Cold, clammy hands or sweating
  • Nausea, diarrhea
  • Dry mouth
  • Hot flashes or chills
  • Difficulty concentrating or mind going blank
  • Muscle tension, aches, soreness