Tools for Assessing Generalized Anxiety Disorder  Tools for
Assessing Generalized Anxiety Disorder  Generalized anxiety
disorder (GAD) is a chronic, impairing and highly comorbid
psychiatric condition afflicting an estimated 2.1% to 3.1% of
the U.S. population during any given 12-month period (Grant et
al., 2005; Kessler et al., 2005). Although historically
neglected relative to other anxiety disorders, recent years have
witnessed increasing attention and interest in the nature and
treatment of GAD. A number of factors have contributed to these
developments including elimination of GAD's status as a residual
category in the DSM-III-R and several empirically based
refinements in the diagnostic criteria for GAD. Among the most
consequential of these revisions has been the designation of
uncontrollable worry (apprehensive expectation) as the hallmark
feature of the disorder and the specification of six key
associated symptoms, primarily centering on motor tension (e.g.,
muscle tension, aches or soreness, restles