Generalized Anxiety Disorder is one of the most common anxiety disorders and affects approximately 3.1% of the American adult population. With 6.8 million reported cases among American adults aged 18 and older, the average age of onset is 31 years old.Click to see full answer. Besides, how common is generalized anxiety disorder?Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is characterized by persistent and excessive worry about a number of different things. GAD affects 6.8 million adults, or 3.1% of the U.S. population, in any given year. Women are twice as likely to be affected.Furthermore, what triggers generalized anxiety disorder? Causes of and risk factors for GAD may include: a family history of anxiety. recent or prolonged exposure to stressful situations, including personal or family illnesses. excessive use of caffeine or tobacco, which can make existing anxiety worse. Likewise, is generalized anxiety disorder a mental illness? Generalized anxiety disorder often occurs along with other mental health problems, which can make diagnosis and treatment more challenging. Some mental health disorders that commonly occur with generalized anxiety disorder include: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)Does generalized anxiety disorder go away?But anxiety disorders involve more than temporary worry or fear. For a person with an anxiety disorder, the anxiety does not go away and can get worse over time. There are several types of anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and various phobia-related disorders.