GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER IN DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation between pers istent prolonged dysfunction in parents and the development of General ized Anxiety disorder (GAD). Initially, 940 adult subjects from a gene ral practice were studied. Thirty-two parents aged 24 to 61 yr diagnos ed with GAD served as the experimental group, while 117 healthy normal pa rents aged 24-66 yr made up the control group. The rate of dysfunc tional families with parents diagnosed with GAD was significantly high er than in families with parents not diagnosed with GAD. Family dysfun ction was associated with parents' age both in men and in women. GAD w as not connected with (1) parents' age, (2) education, (3) employment, (4) country of origin or (5) number of children in the family. There was no significant difference between men and women in onset and durat ion of GAD. Implications for diagnostic and treatment issues are discu ssed. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.