Cognitive Behavioral Model Of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Individuals with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) report significant worry which they find difficult to control and experience as distressing. Other common symptoms include restlessness, physical arousal, difficulty concentrating, muscle tension, and poor sleep. Numerous models of GAD have been developed. Early models conceptualized GAD in the relatively generic cognitive terms of an individual’s heightened preoccupation with danger and underestimation of their ability to cope (e.g Butler et al, 1987; Borkovec et al, 1993). Second-generation conceptualizations including the Laval model (presented here) and Wells’ metacognitive model (e.g. Wells, 1999) are significant advancements.