Susan, a 12-year-old girl, refuses to go to her new school.She is irritable and angry, and she complains of headaches every morning.Susan perspires and feels restless each morning.She is unable to sleep because she worries about the next day at school.What do these symptoms represent?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is diagnosed in 0.9% of the adolescent population in the United States and is more prevalent in girls than boys.Symptoms include excessive anxiety and worrying (e.g., about future events, school performance, family health, and world events) on most days without a specific trigger event or social situation.Children with GAD cannot control their fear of situations and activities, and these fears manifest as irritability, tiredness, inability to relax (i.e., feeling on edge), restlessness, apprehension, negative self-image, difficulty concentrating, and disrupted sleep.The physical symptoms described previously can also occur with other anxiety or mood disorders (e.g., panic attacks, phobias, or dysthymia).Not surprisingly, these children will have difficulty in school, social situations, and all areas of occupational performance."

Susan, a 12-Year-Old Girl, Refuses to Go to Her New