Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Abstract: Generalized anxiety disorder is a chronic condition (minimum duration of 6 months) involving excessive and uncontrollable worry and anxiety about a number of events or activities and leading to significant distress or impairment in important areas of functioning. This chapter focuses on the assessment of generalized anxiety disorder. It begins with a review of the nature of the disorder, which is followed by a review of clinical assessment instruments designed for the purposes of (a) diagnosis, (b) case conceptualization and treatment planning, and (c) treatment monitoring and evaluation. Recommendations are included for instruments with the greatest scientific support and for assessing generalized anxiety disorder in a clinically sensitive manner.