|
Home :: Health - Anxiety
Anxiety -- Is It a Problem for You? 7 questions provide the answer
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is "one of the most common
anxiety problems seen in general medical practices." Physicians
are likely to see between 2.8% and 8.5% of their patients
suffering from this type of anxiety, according to a national
survey (1).
Fortunately, this is just the type of problem that many of the
new advances in psychotherapy (such as the REMAP process, EFT and
EMDR) are excellent at treating. Yet too often, anxiety related
issues are neither diagnosed nor treated. What's been missing,
until now, is a simple and easily available way to spot the
symptoms and level of intensity that warrants a referral for
treatment.
The solution to this problem now appears to be at hand. Robert
L. Spitzer, MD (and colleagues) report on their development of a
new, quick and effective tool to measure anxiety in the May 22,
2006 edition of the Archives of Internal Medicine (2). The
anxiety inventory is called the GAD-7 (the Generalized Anxiety
Disorder-7 questions).
The researchers conclude that the "GAD-7 is a valid and efficient
tool" to screen for anxiety and to assess "its severity in
clinical practice and research." What's most impressive is that
you can do this by answering seven short questions. All the
patient needs to do is read the seven questions and pick one of
four possible answers. Each question has a number value (0-3).
Add the numbers and you quickly arrive at a score between 0 and
21.
The researchers find that a score of 10 or higher means that a
significant level of anxiety is present. Scores over 15 are
considered severe. In the study they find that people diagnosed
with GAD have an average score of 14.4 while people without GAD
average only 4.9.
Their study also points out the effect on people's lives when
they suffer from this level of anxiety.
During a three month period, 47% of the people who scored in the
highest anxiety category suffered difficulties as a result of
their symptoms. They also had twice the number of physician
visits and took over four times the number of sick days from
work. The complete details from that portion of the study are
listed below.
Group averages during 3 months:
anxiety score - disability days - physician visits - % of symptom
related difficulty
0-4 3.9 1.2 15.0
5-9 7.9 1.7 5.5
10-14 10.7 2.2 13.7
15-21 16.8 2.4 47.4
Percent of symptom related difficulty refers to the response
to one additional question-- "How difficult have these
problems made it for you to do your work, take care of
things at home or get along with other people?" (Not at
all; Somewhat difficult; Very difficult or Extremely
difficult)
Notably, 96% of patients in the study with GAD-7 scores of 10 or
greater have been experiencing symptoms for a month or more.
And, 67% have been suffering from symptoms for 6 months or
longer. This suggests that many people are not being diagnosed
or getting treatment. This tool may help physicians to make
appropriate referrals for mental health care and help
psychotherapists to be alert to the need to focus treatment on
this issue.
A number of patients with symptoms of high anxiety (according to
the GAD-7) score low on depression symptoms. This suggests that
the dimensions of anxiety and depression need to be assessed
separately because they do not always coexist.
The authors also point-out that as the symptoms of anxiety
increase in severity, patients have correspondingly greater
"impairment in multiple domains of functioning". The authors
believe that the GAD-7 can help identify patients with "disabling
anxiety" that will benefit from treatment.
The GAD-7 (developed by Dr. Robert L. Spitzer, Dr. K. Kroenke,
and colleagues2) provides a reliable brief scale to identify
Generalized Anxiety Disorder and to measure the severity of its
symptoms. It can help psychotherapists, physicians and even
potential patients to know if further assessment and possible
treatment is needed.
By now you are probably wondering, "What are these 7 revealing
questions?" Okay, let's look at them and see how you score.
Read each question and think about how often you have felt
bothered by these symptoms during the past two weeks. There are
four possible choices: 0 = not at all, 1 = several days, 2 = more
than half the days, and 3 = nearly everyday. Write down the
number that corresponds to the best answer for each.
1. Feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge?
2. Not being able to stop or control worrying?
3. Worrying too much about different things?
4. Trouble relaxing?
5. Being so restless that it is hard to sit still?
6. Becoming easily annoyed or irritable?
7. Feeling afraid as if something awful might happen?
Scoring: Add the results for each question to get a total score.
Scores above 10 indicate that you may need to consult a licensed
mental health care provider for further assessment and possible
treatment for generalized anxiety disorder.
REFERENCES:
1. Wittchen HU, Zhao S, Kessler RC, Eaton WW. DSM-III-R
generalized anxiety disorder in the National Comorbidity Survey.
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1994;51:355-364.
2. Spitzer RL, Kroenke K, Williams JB, Lowe B. A Brief Measure
for Assessing Generalized Anxiety Disorder: The GAD-7. [Journal
Article] Arch Intern Med. 2006;166(10):1092-7.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Steve B. Reed, LPC, LMSW, LMFT is a psychotherapist that
specializes in treating trauma and anxiety disorders including
social phobia. He treats people at his Richardson, Texas
office (Dallas area) and through phone counseling worldwide.
You can reach Steve at 972-997-9955 or through his website at:
http://www.psychotherapy-center.com
copyright 1998-2006, Steve B. Reed
For Hundreds more great articles visit our
Article Archives
Our Highest Reviewed Diet
NL Natural Weight Loss understands that there is no standard diet program that works for everyone. They realize that everyone is different which is why they have created simple step by step guidelines that make it easy to personalize the plan for each and every individual. The plan doesn’t include costly meal replacements, supplements or pre-packaged food, only real foods from the supermarket. The simplicity and convenience of NL Natural Weight Loss put it a step ahead of the traditional diet programs. This program sets the standard for modern permanent weight loss solutions, without the stress of dieting. Their philosophy is based on a healthy balanced diet, adequate exercise, and improved lifestyle, and it’s backed by a mountain of scientific evidence. They offer free online support and a free newsletter packed with useful information and tips on weight loss health and exercise, including healthy recipes. Click here to learn more
©nulife-weightloss.com-
Anxiety -- Is It a Problem for You? 7 questions provide the answer
|
