Zoe Hunter is a twenty-four old woman who is in her last year of graduate studies. Ever since she began school four years ago, she noticed that she has become more and more agitated about seemingly endless lists of things. Zoe spends most of her day worrying whether she will do well enough in her courses to maintain her student loans. She worries whether the other students like her, if she is pursuing the right career, if she can get her papers done on time, if her teachers will be available to talk with her after class, if she can find her favorite seat in class, if her roommate will pay for her share of the rent, if her car will be reliable, if the library will have the book she needs, if she can get home for the holidays, and how her parents are managing back home. Zoe replays these and other situations in her mind all day long and then continues to fret about them when she tries to fall asleep. She is preoccupied with these worries so much so that she has difficulty falling asleep, finds it hard to concentrate, and constantly feels “on edge”. Zoe tells the social worker in the school’s counseling center, “I just can’t seem to stop worrying. Everybody calls me such a ‘worry wart'”. Her most likely diagnosis would be:
Group of answer choices
Social anxiety disorder (social phobia)
Panic disorder
Generalized anxiety disorder
Unspecified anxiety disorder
The correct answer and explanation is :
The correct answer is Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).
Explanation:
Zoe Hunter’s symptoms are most consistent with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), a condition characterized by excessive, uncontrollable worry about a variety of everyday life events or activities. People with GAD typically experience persistent anxiety and worry, which is difficult to control, and this worry can interfere significantly with daily functioning.
Let’s break down Zoe’s symptoms:
- Excessive Worry: Zoe is constantly worrying about numerous aspects of her life—school performance, relationships with others, financial concerns, and even whether she’ll get her favorite seat in class. This excessive worry is a hallmark of GAD, as individuals with this disorder often find themselves worrying about multiple things at once, even when there is no immediate threat or cause for concern.
- Difficulty Controlling Worry: Zoe mentions that she “just can’t seem to stop worrying,” which indicates that the worry is uncontrollable and persistent, another key feature of GAD.
- Physical Symptoms of Anxiety: Zoe has difficulty falling asleep and finds it hard to concentrate, both of which are common physical manifestations of anxiety, especially in GAD. People with GAD may also feel “on edge” or experience tension, irritability, or restlessness.
- Duration: Zoe’s worries have been ongoing for four years, which aligns with the chronic nature of GAD. This disorder typically persists for at least six months, though in Zoe’s case, the duration is much longer.
In contrast to other anxiety disorders, GAD is marked by diffuse, excessive worry about a range of issues rather than specific situations (as seen in social anxiety disorder or panic disorder). In social anxiety disorder, the anxiety is focused on social interactions or fear of negative judgment from others. In panic disorder, individuals experience sudden, intense panic attacks, which is not a feature Zoe describes. Unspecified anxiety disorder would be an umbrella diagnosis when the specific symptoms do not fully meet criteria for any particular anxiety disorder, which does not seem to be the case here.
Therefore, Zoe’s symptoms—persistent, uncontrollable worry about various aspects of life, along with physical and cognitive difficulties—are most consistent with Generalized Anxiety Disorder.