Generalized Anxiety Disorder Causes & Risk Factors
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Many psychological factors appear to play a role in the development and maintenance of GAD. One of these factors is intolerance of uncertainty. Research also shows that people with GAD have greater difficulty dealing with uncertainty than individuals with other anxiety disorders and people from the general population.
The general consensus is that psychological factors like intolerance of uncertainty interact with biological and environmental factors in leading to the development and maintenance of GAD.
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Women are twice as likely to be affected as men by generalized anxiety disorder. The same is true of obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
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Generalized anxiety disorder occurs worldwide, in people of every race, religion, and sex, though women are diagnosed with GAD more frequently than men. The disorder strikes in the early twenties, has a chronic course, and often occurs alongside other anxiety and mood disorders (e.g., depression).
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Research into environmental factors suggests that traumatic events in early life can make a person vulnerable to anxiety disorders. Parenting style, family environment and culture may influence susceptibility to GAD. Traumatic and stressful events, such as abuse, the death of a family or friend, or divorce, may contribute to GAD. In addition, the use of and withdrawal from addictive substances (alcohol, caffeine and nicotine), which are often used to “self-medicate,” can further increase anxiety.
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As with other anxiety disorders, certain abnormalities in the brain seem to predispose a person to generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). One is a low level of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter that blocks the release of other neurotransmitters, thus modulating nerve impulses. Another is a low level of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that affects mood and sleep. Just how these chemical messengers influence anxiety is unknown, but anti-anxiety drugs and antidepressants that increase their levels relieve symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder.
Brain imaging studies of people with generalized anxiety disorder reveal other abnormalities: increased activity in the cortex and decreased activity in the basal ganglia. Although the precise implications are not clear, in general, such abnormalities indicate a problem with brain function that may prime the pump for an overreaction to stress. Because generalized anxiety disorder tends to run in families, experts believe that genes are at least partly responsible. Symptoms also surface or worsen under stress.
