For the past year, an individual has felt a constant sense of dread. One day they are consumed with worry that they might lose their job, the next they are convinced a minor headache is a sign of a serious illness, and later they fret for hours about being late for a non-critical appointment. They cannot identify a single, specific source for their apprehension, describing it as a persistent 'hum' of worry in the background of their life. Which of the following best describes this pattern of app