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Quizzes > Quizzes for Business > Healthcare

Take the Generalised Anxiety Disorder Knowledge Test

Quickly Assess Your Understanding of Anxiety Disorder

Difficulty: Moderate
Questions: 20
Learning OutcomesStudy Material
Colorful paper art depicting elements related to Generalised Anxiety Disorder Knowledge Test quiz

Feeling curious about anxiety? This anxiety quiz empowers psychology students and educators to test their GAD knowledge in just 15 multiple-choice questions. Participants will gain insight into symptoms, causes and management, and can freely customise the test in our editor. Check out related Seasonal Affective Disorder & Stress Awareness Quiz or deepen your learning with an Anatomy Knowledge Test. Try more quizzes to continue sharpening your mental health expertise.

What is the hallmark cognitive symptom of Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)?
Excessive and uncontrollable worry
Compulsive rituals
Hallucinations
Recurrent flashbacks
Excessive, uncontrollable worry is the core cognitive feature of GAD. Flashbacks are associated with PTSD, hallucinations with psychosis, and compulsions with OCD.
For a formal diagnosis of GAD, symptoms must be present for at least how long?
6 months
12 months
1 month
3 months
DSM-5 requires excessive anxiety and worry for at least six months for a GAD diagnosis. Shorter durations may indicate other anxiety disorders rather than GAD.
Which of the following is a common physical symptom associated with GAD?
Auditory hallucinations
Muscle tension
Delusions
Visual hallucinations
Muscle tension is a frequent somatic symptom in individuals with GAD. Hallucinations and delusions are indicative of psychotic disorders.
A key feature of GAD is difficulty in which of the following?
Initiating compulsive rituals
Experiencing panic attacks
Controlling or stopping worry
Avoiding social situations
Difficulty controlling or stopping worry is central to GAD. Compulsive rituals relate to OCD, panic attacks to panic disorder, and social avoidance to social anxiety disorder.
Which characteristic best distinguishes GAD from panic disorder?
Chronic, excessive worry about multiple domains
Unwanted repetitive thoughts
Brief episodes of intense fear with somatic symptoms
Fear of specific objects or situations
GAD involves chronic, excessive worry across multiple life domains. Panic disorder is characterized by sudden, intense panic attacks, specific phobias by focused fears, and OCD by recurrent obsessions and compulsions.
Which personality trait is most strongly linked to greater severity of GAD symptoms?
High extraversion
High conscientiousness
High neuroticism
High openness
Neuroticism reflects a tendency toward negative emotional states and is strongly linked to more severe GAD symptoms. Extraversion, conscientiousness, and openness do not predict anxiety severity as strongly.
Which of the following environmental factors can exacerbate GAD severity?
Regular exercise
Chronic financial stress
Access to social support
Balanced nutrition
Ongoing financial stressors can exacerbate the severity of GAD symptoms. In contrast, social support, regular exercise, and balanced nutrition typically serve as protective factors.
In cognitive-behavioral therapy for GAD, which technique focuses on identifying and restructuring negative thought patterns?
Exposure and response prevention
Biofeedback
Cognitive restructuring
Systematic desensitization
Cognitive restructuring involves identifying and challenging unhelpful thoughts to reduce anxiety. Systematic desensitization, biofeedback, and ERP address anxiety through exposure or physiological regulation rather than cognitive change.
Which relaxation technique is commonly used as part of GAD treatment?
Progressive muscle relaxation
Aversion therapy
Electroconvulsive therapy
Deep brain stimulation
Progressive muscle relaxation teaches individuals to tense and relax muscle groups to decrease physiological arousal. Aversion therapy, ECT, and deep brain stimulation are not standard relaxation techniques for GAD.
Which mindfulness-based intervention has demonstrated effectiveness in managing GAD?
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
Art therapy
Psychoanalytic therapy
Hypnotherapy
MBSR teaches mindfulness practices that reduce rumination and anxiety in GAD. Hypnotherapy, psychoanalytic therapy, and art therapy have less empirical support for this condition.
A patient reports uncontrollable worry for the past four months about daily tasks with minimal impairment. What is the most appropriate diagnosis?
Generalised Anxiety Disorder
Panic disorder
Subthreshold anxiety
Major depressive disorder
Symptoms lasting four months with minimal impairment do not meet the six-month duration threshold for GAD. Such presentations are best classified as subthreshold anxiety.
A 30-year-old has experienced excessive worry about work performance, finances, and health, occurring most days for the past seven months, along with restlessness and sleep disturbance. What is the most likely diagnosis?
Panic disorder
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Generalised Anxiety Disorder
Adjustment disorder
Persistent worry across multiple domains for over six months, accompanied by restlessness and sleep disturbance, fulfills GAD criteria. Panic disorder and OCD have distinct clinical features and adjustment disorder is time-limited to specific stressors.
Which class of medication is considered first-line pharmacotherapy for GAD?
Tricyclic antidepressants
Barbiturates
First-generation antipsychotics
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
SSRIs are considered first-line pharmacotherapy for GAD due to their efficacy and tolerability profile. First-generation antipsychotics, TCAs, and barbiturates are not recommended as initial treatments.
What is a primary concern when prescribing benzodiazepines for GAD?
Risk of dependence and tolerance
Worsening of memory consolidation
Increased suicidality
Induction of mania
Long-term benzodiazepine use carries a significant risk of dependence and tolerance. Concerns over memory consolidation, suicidality, and mania are less central but still considered.
Which feature helps distinguish GAD from social anxiety disorder?
Sudden panic without warning
Worry about multiple life domains rather than only social performance
Presence of obsessions and compulsions
Visual hallucinations
GAD involves broad worry, while social anxiety focuses on fear of social evaluation. Obsessions, panic, and hallucinations indicate other disorders.
Which therapeutic approach emphasizes acceptance of anxious thoughts and commitment to valued actions in treating GAD?
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Somatic experiencing
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Psychoanalytic psychotherapy
ACT emphasizes accepting anxious thoughts and committing to actions aligned with personal values. DBT focuses on emotion regulation skills, psychoanalysis explores unconscious conflicts, and somatic experiencing targets trauma.
Which relapse prevention strategy is specifically used to maintain treatment gains in GAD?
Scheduled booster therapy sessions
Continuous high-dose benzodiazepines
Complete medication discontinuation
Intensive inpatient treatment
Scheduled booster sessions reinforce coping skills and help maintain treatment gains in GAD. Continuous high-dose benzodiazepines risk dependence, and abrupt medication discontinuation can precipitate relapse.
What is the primary mechanism of action of SSRIs in alleviating GAD symptoms?
Antagonism of NMDA receptors
Inhibition of serotonin reuptake
Enhancement of GABA activity
Blockade of dopamine receptors
SSRIs alleviate anxiety by blocking serotonin reuptake and increasing its availability in synaptic clefts. Dopamine receptor blockade pertains to antipsychotics, GABA enhancement to benzodiazepines, and NMDA antagonism to certain anesthetics.
Evidence suggests combined SSRI medication and CBT for GAD result in which of the following compared to monotherapy?
Lower patient adherence
Slower symptom reduction
Increased risk of psychosis
Higher remission rates
Research indicates that combining SSRIs with CBT yields higher remission rates than either treatment alone. There is no evidence of increased psychosis risk or slower symptom reduction with combined therapy.
Which clinical feature most effectively differentiates chronic GAD from dysthymic disorder?
Predominant worry and anxiety rather than persistent low mood
Presence of manic episodes
Persistent auditory hallucinations
Sudden onset of panic attacks
In GAD, excessive worry and physiological anxiety symptoms predominate, while dysthymic disorder is marked by a chronic low mood. Manic episodes and hallucinations suggest other psychiatric diagnoses.
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Learning Outcomes

  1. Identify the core symptoms of Generalised Anxiety Disorder
  2. Analyse factors contributing to anxiety severity
  3. Apply evidence-based strategies for anxiety management
  4. Evaluate case scenarios for accurate GAD diagnosis
  5. Demonstrate understanding of GAD treatment options
  6. Master distinctions between GAD and related conditions

Cheat Sheet

  1. Understand the core symptoms of GAD - GAD can feel like your mind's stuck on replay, worrying about everything from deadlines to dinner plans. This relentless anxiety often brings restlessness, fatigue, and muscle tension, making it hard to chill or concentrate. Physical symptoms can sneak in too, like a racing heart or sleepless nights. Mayo Clinic
  2. Know the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria - According to the DSM-5, GAD isn't just occasional nerves - it's anxiety and worry for most days over six months, plus at least three symptoms like restlessness or irritability. These rules help clinicians pin down a reliable diagnosis so they can craft a plan that works for you. It's less of a mood check and more a step-by-step guide to understanding anxiety. Verywell Mind
  3. Identify key risk factors - Did you ever wonder why some people worry more? Traits like shyness or a tendency to expect the worst, mixed with genetics or big life changes, can turn up the anxiety dial. Spotting these triggers is the first step toward taking back control. Mayo Clinic
  4. Explore evidence-based treatments - CBT is like a toolkit for your mind, teaching you to spot worry traps and challenge negative thoughts. With guide rails and gradual exposure, you learn skills that help you dive back into activities you've sidestepped. It's like rebooting your brain to handle stress in healthier ways. Mayo Clinic
  5. Learn about medication options - When worry grips you tight, SSRIs and SNRIs can help balance brain chemicals to ease the tension. They're often the go-to meds for GAD and can be life-changing when paired with therapy. Always chat with a pro to find the right fit and monitor progress. Verywell Mind
  6. Differentiate GAD from other anxiety disorders - Anxiety wears many masks, from panic attacks to social jitters or obsessive loops. Pinpointing GAD means checking off its unique symptom list, so you get the right treatment rather than a one-size-fits-all fix. Think of it as tuning your treatment to the exact frequency your mind needs. Verywell Mind
  7. Recognize potential complications - Ignoring GAD is like letting a tiny crack widen until the dam bursts - daily tasks, work, or relationships can suffer big time. Plus, chronic stress ups your risk for depression, stomach woes, and headaches. Catching anxiety early keeps these bonus problems at bay. Mayo Clinic
  8. Be aware of prevalence rates - GAD is surprisingly common, affecting about 3% of adults. Women tend to get diagnosed at twice the rate of men, though worry doesn't discriminate. Knowing you're not alone can be a huge relief on the road to recovery. Cleveland Clinic
  9. Understand the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale - The Hamilton Scale is like a report card for anxiety, scoring mood, tension, and physical signs to map severity. Clinicians use it to track progress and tailor treatments, making sure you're moving in the right direction. It's a trusty compass in the journey through anxiety. Wikipedia
  10. Embrace lifestyle modifications - Simple habits can be game-changers - regular exercise, solid sleep routines, relaxation tricks like deep breathing, and balanced meals all help dial down anxiety. These daily rituals work behind the scenes to keep stress in check. Pair them with professional guidance for a holistic approach to GAD. Mayo Clinic
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