The prevalence of anxiety disorders across the life course: a systematic review of reviews

Background Anxiety disorders are the most common class of psychiatric illnesses. These conditions typically develop in adolescence and young adulthood and tend to run a chronic course. Anxiety disorders are underdiagnosed and undertreated by physicians, and knowledge gaps and complex symptom manifestations partly account for this. Further, affected individuals often do not seek help until later and more severe stages in the disease process. To …