2.9% among adults in the general communit y of the United Stat es. The 12-month preva-
lence for the disorder in other countries ranges from 0.4% to 3.6%. The lifetime morbid risk
is 9.0%. Females are twice as likely as males to  experience generalized  anxiety disorder. The
prevalence of the diagnosis peak s in middle age and declines across the later years of life.
Individuals of European descent tend to ex perience generalized anxiety disorder more
frequently than do individuals of non-Euro pean descent (i.e., Asian, African, Native
American and Pacific Islander ). Furthermore, individuals from developed countries are
more likely than individuals from nondeveloped  countries to report that they have expe-
rienced symptoms that meet criteria for ge neralized anxiety disorder in their lifetime.
Development and Course
Many individuals with generalized anxiety disord er report that they have felt anxious and
nervous all of their lives. The median age at  onset for generalized anxiety disorder is 30
years; however, age at onset is spread over a very broad range. The median age at onset is
later than that for the other anxiety disorder s. The symptoms of excessive worry and anx-
iety may occur early in life but are then ma nifested as an anxious temperament. Onset of
the disorder rarely occurs prior to adolesce nce. The symptoms of generalized anxiety dis-
order tend to be chronic and wax and wane across the lifespan, fluctuating between syn-
dromal and subsyndromal forms of the diso rder. Rates of full re mission are very low.
The clinical expression of generalized anxiet y disorder is relatively consistent across
the lifespan. The primary difference across age groups is in the content of the individual’s