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Clinical Trial
. 2009 Jun;16(2):178-85.
doi: 10.1007/s10880-008-9144-5. Epub 2009 Jan 18.

Generalized anxiety disorder in older medical patients: diagnostic recognition, mental health management and service utilization

Jessica Calleo  1 , Melinda A Stanley, Anthony Greisinger, Oscar Wehmanen, Michael Johnson, Diane Novy, Nancy Wilson, Mark Kunik
Affiliations
Clinical Trial

Generalized anxiety disorder in older medical patients: diagnostic recognition, mental health management and service utilization

Jessica Calleo et al. J Clin Psychol Med Settings. 2009 Jun.

Abstract

Background: Primary care physicians often treat older adults with Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Objective To estimate physician diagnosis and recognition of anxiety and compare health service use among older adults with GAD with two comparison samples with and without other DSM diagnoses.

Methods: Participants were 60+ patients of a multi-specialty medical organization. Administrative database and medical records were reviewed for a year. Differences in frequency of health service use were analyzed with logistic regression and between-subjects analysis of covariance.

Results: Physician diagnosis of GAD was 1.5% and any anxiety was 9%, and recognition of anxiety symptoms was 34% in older adults with GAD. After controlling for medical comorbidity, radiology appointments were increased in the GAD group relative to those with and without other psychiatric diagnoses, chi(2) (2, N = 225) = 4.75, p < .05.

Conclusions: Most patients with anxiety do not have anxiety or symptoms documented in their medical records.

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