Generalized Anxiety Disorder in College students

Key things to know What the evidence shows
How common is it? Not established for GAD specifically
Is it more common among college students? Anxiety symptoms clearly elevated, but GAD-specific pooled prevalence unavailable
Are college students at higher risk? Likely, but strongest evidence concerns anxiety generally
How much higher is the risk? Not established for GAD
How often can it be missed? Moderate; worry may be normalized as academic stress
Does it show up differently among college students? Somewhat contextually
How might it look different? Academic performance, future/career, finances and social concerns
What commonly occurs alongside it? Depression; social anxiety; substance use
What can it be confused with? Adjustment disorder; ADHD; social anxiety; normal academic stress
Common screening tool GAD-7
Separate screening tool for college students None GAD-specific
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