Anxiety Disorders Flashcards
(44 cards)
What are the 3 models of stress?
- Biomechanical “Engineering”
- Medicophysiological
- Psychological (Transactional)
What is the psychological model of stress?
An individual’s reaction to stress will depend on a balance between their cognitive processing of any perceived threat and perceived ability to cope
What are the types of coping?
- Problem focussed
- Emotion focussed
What is problem focussed coping?
-Where efforts are directed toward modifying stressor. -Preparation, studying or interview practice
What is emotion focussed coping?
- Modify emotional reaction. Mental defence mechanisms eg Denial. Relaxation training
- Take a sedative drug.
How are our physiological and psychological reactions to stress elicited?
- Stressor leads to release of corticotropin releasing hormone
- Adrenocorticotropic hormone and prolactin and growth hormone release
- Glucocorticoid, noradrenaline and adrenaline release
- Release of cytokines into the blood and hardwiring of sympathetic innervation
What are the symptoms groups of the fight or flight response?
- Psychological arousal
- Autonomic arousal
- Muscle tension
- Hyperventilation
- Sleep disturbance
What is the Yerkes Dodson curve of stress performance connection?
As stress increases so to does performance until stress becomes too much and performance declines
What psychological arousal can be produced by stress?
- Fearful Anticipation
- Irritability
- Sensitivity to noise
- Poor concentration
- Worrying Thoughts
How can stress affect the GIT?
- Dry mouth
- Swallowing difficulties
- Dyspepsia, nausea and wind
- Frequent loose motions
How can stress affect the respiratory system?
- Tight chest
- Difficulty inhaling
How can stress affect the cardiovascular system?
- Palpitations/ missed beats
- Chest pains
How can stress affect the genitourinary system?
- Frequent/ urgency of micturition
- Amenorrhoea/ dysmenorrhoea
- Erectile dysfunction
How can stress affect the CNS?
- Dizziness
- Sweating
How can muscle tension associated with stress manifest??
- Tremor
- Headache
- Muscle pain
How can hyperventilation associated with stress manifest?
- Causing CO2 deficit: hypocapnia
- Numbness tingling in extremeities may lead to carpopedal spasm
- Breathlessness
How can sleep disturbance associated with stress manifest?
- Initial insomnia
- Frequent waking
- Nightmares and night terrors
How are anxiety disorders characterised?
ICD10 F40-F48
How do phobias and GAD differ?
They have the same core anxiety symptoms but phobias occur in particular circumstances and GAD occurs persistently
What symptoms are associated with GAD?
- Persistent (several months) symptoms not confined to a situation or object.
- All the symptoms of human anxiety mentioned earlier can occur including: Psychological arousal, Autonomic Arousal, Muscle Tension, Hyperventilation, Sleep Disturbance
What is the differential diagnosis for anxiety disorder?
Psychiatric Conditions
- Depression
- Schizophrenia
- Dementia
- Substance Misuse
Physical Conditions
- Thyrotoxicosis
- Phaeochromoctoma
- Hypoglycaemia
- Asthma and or Arrhythmias
What is the epidemiology of GAD?
- One year prevalence around 4.4% in England
- More women affected than men (nb cultural factors and diagnosis of alcohol use)
What is the aetiology of GAD?
- No clear line between anxiety and anxiety disorders. They differ in extent and duration
- In general terms GAD for instance is caused by a stressor acting on a personality predisposed to the disorder by a combination of genetic factors and environmental influences in childhood
How are GAD managed?
Counselling
- Clear Plan of -Management
- Explanation and education
- Advice re caffeine, alcohol, exercise etc.
Relaxation training
- Group or individual
- DVDs, tapes or clinician led
Medication
- Sedatives have high risk dependency
- Antidepressants SSRI or TCA
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy