Anxiety Disorders Flashcards
(42 cards)
What makes an anxiety response abnormal?
Clinically significant distress or impairment in social or occupational functioning
What is a specific phobia and how long does it last?
Marked fear/anxiety about a specific object or situation leading to distress and avoidance, that lasts for longer than 6 months.
What are some aetiological factors of specific phobia?
Biological predisposition. May follow a traumatic event or unexplained panic attack, but many do not report this.
Treatment of specific phobia (3 approaches)
Behavioral - gradual exposure therapy
Cognitive - focus on irrational beliefs
Psychoanalytic - uncover repressed conflicts
What are the main clinical characteristics of a social phobia, including duration? (4)
- Fear when exposed to scrutiny by others
- Fear of being negatively evaluated by others
- Social situations provoke fear/anxiety and are avoided if at all possible
- Duration for >6 months
Median age of onset of social phobia
13 years
Treatment of social phobia
CBT (combined with social skills training)
Antidepressants
Anxiolytics such as BZDs should be avoided if possible
Definition of a panic attack
Sudden, unpredictable attack of intense fear/terror that lasts for about 10 minutes and is associated with a feeling of impending doom, fear of losing control/dying, and/or other somatisations of anxiety.
What is at the core of panic disorder?
Fear and catastrophic misinterpretation of the anxiety symptoms (e.g. heart attack)
To diagnose panic disorder, what are the panic attacks associated with?
At least one attack needs to be followed by at least 1 month of persistent worry about additional panic attacks and/or a maladaptive change in behaviour as a result of the attack
What does agoraphobia mean?
“fear of the market place”
Possible causal factors of panic disorder
Genetic predisposition
Hyperventilation
Exaggerated central response to arousal
Biological management of panic disorder
SSRIs
Tricyclics
Avoid BZDs if possible
Psychological management of panic disorder
Psychoeducation about panic symptoms and the cognitive theory of panic leading to a vicious cycle
Education that symptoms will always pass
Social management of panic disorder
Progressive desensitisation to triggers of anxiety
Criterion A of GAD
Excessive anxiety and worry for more than 6 months, about a number of different things
Criterion B of GAD
Finds it difficult to control the worry
Criterion C of GAD (6)
Associated with 3+:
- Restlessness
- Fatigue
- Concentration difficulties
- Irritability
- Muscle tension
- Sleep disturbance
Lifetime risk of GAD
9%
Female:Male ratio of GAD
2:1
Treatment of GAD (5)
SSRIs TCAs BZDs tend to cause tolerance and dependence CBT Relaxation training
Definition of obsessions
Recurrent and persistent thoughts, urges or images that are experienced as intrusive or unwanted
What is the difference between an obsession and a delusion?
An obsession is a thought that is recognised as being internal, whereas a delusion is experienced as an external phenomenon.
Definition of compulsions
Repetitive behaviours or mental acts that the individual feels driven to perform in response to an obsession or according to rules applied rigidly, in order to reduce anxiety or prevent a dreaded outcome.
