Diagnosis and Clinical Characteristics
These are the approved guidelines published by the South African Society of Psychiatrists to provide an overview on treatment and management of commonly diagnosed psychiatric illnesses. The guidelines include consensus recommendations, based on peer contribution and using the international evidence based guidelines that are suitable for the local South African health service.
Please note that parts of this guideline may be out of date, an update will be published as soon as it is available.
GAD is characterised by chronic, excessive, difficult-to-control worry and a range of somatic symptoms. Making the correct diagnosis is essential. Given that GAD often presents with somatic symptoms and comorbid psychiatric disorders, the diagnosis is frequently overlooked.
It is therefore important to establish (i) that persistent and excessive anxiety and worry about commonly occurring events and activities – on more days than not for at least 6 months – is present; (ii) that difficulty in controlling the worries is concomitant with physical and psychic symptoms; (iii) that the focus of anxiety and worry is not part of another Axis I disorder or due to the direct physiological effects of a substance or a general medical condition; and (iv) that clinically significant distress or functional impairment is evident.[4]