Anxiety Disorders Prevalent, Undertreated in Primary Care

Anxiety disorders are prevalent and often go untreated in primary care, according to a study in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Researchers used questionnaires and interviews to assess anxiety in some 970 patients recruited at U.S. primary care clinics. About 20% of the participants had at least one anxiety disorder (PTSD was most prevalent, followed by generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder). Of these, 41% reported receiving no current treatment.
The authors write that two short questionnaires used in the industry-sponsored study (the Generalized Anxiety Disorder [GAD]-7 and GAD-2 scales) performed well as screening tools for all four of the most common anxiety disorders. Editorialists note, however, that study participants had high rates of depression, and wonder if "the high predictive validity of the GAD-7 may reflect a high level of nonspecific emotional distress rather than something specifically unique about anxiety."

http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/146/5/390