Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is one of the most prevalent mental health problems today. At any one time GAD affects around 4 to 5 per cent of the population. Of these around 80 per cent have some accompanying condition like depression. Like so many mental health issues questions surrounding its origins and development often hinge on nature v nurture. That is, how influential are genes or the environment when it comes to understanding and treating such issues?

GAD is characterized by...