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Whilst it is relatively well established from epidemiological research that the prevalence of anxiety disorders is higher in females compared with males, the reasons behind this disparity are unclear.

Neuropeptides play a key role in emotion regulation and are being investigated for their involvement in anxiety disorders, offering insights into the neurobiology of anxiety and related psychopathology

Neuroimaging studies suggest that generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is associated with structural changes in several brain regions involved in emotional processing, attention, and threat detection

Fear conditioning occurs when a neutral stimulus becomes associated with threat. Although extinction can reduce the fear response, it may return over time through spontaneous recovery.

Benzodiazepine use shows the strongest association with low birth weight and need for ventilatory support, while other anxiety disorders show more modest or mixed effects on neonatal outcomes.

Pain conditions frequently co-occur with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). This figure illustrates the proportion of people with GAD who experience one or more comorbid pain conditions, highlighting the substantial overlap between anxiety symptoms and chronic pain and the importance of assessing both in clinical practice.