Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
General Anxiety Disorder is a common mental disorder characterized by excessive and uncontrollable worry about multiple areas of life, often accompanied by physical symptoms such as restlessness and muscle tension.
Related terms
Specific Phobia: A specific phobia is an anxiety disorder that involves an intense fear or aversion to a specific object or situation, such as heights or spiders.
Exposure therapy is a type of behavioral therapy where individuals are gradually exposed to the feared object or situation in order to reduce their anxiety response.
In experimental research, the control group refers to the group that does not receive the experimental treatment. It is used for comparison purposes to assess the effectiveness of the treatment being studied.