Anxiety disorders Flashcards
Name the curve that describes the effect of anxiety on performance
Yerkes-Dodson Law bell curve
List the psychological theory behind anxiety to a threat
- Reduced perception of ability to cope with threat
- Reduced perception of ability to cope with the symptoms of arousal
- Tendency to react to stress with arousal response
List the ICD-10 classifications of neurotic and stress-related disorders
Acute stress disorders:
- Acute stress reaction
- PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder
- Adjustment disorder
Phobic anxiety disorders:
- Agoraphobia (with or without panic disorder)
- Social phobia
- Specific phobia
Other anxiety disorders:
- Panic disorder
- GAD (generalised anxiety disorder)
- Mixed anxiety and depressive disorder
Obsessive–compulsive disorder
State the 1 year prevalence of anxiety disorders
14%
Outline the features of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), according to ICD-10 classification
- Anxiety that is generalised and persistent
- ‘Free floating’ = does not strongly predominate in any particular environmental circumstances
Worrying most days about most things, for a period of 6 months
List some psychological and physical symptoms of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)
Psychological:
- Anxious thoughts
- Fearful anticipation
- Poor concentration
- Irritability
- Sensitivity
- Avoidance behaviour
Physical:
- Sleep disturbance
- Weight loss
GI - dry mouth, diarrhoea
Respiratory - tachypnoea, tight chest
CVS - tachycardia
Urinary - frequent urination
Neuromuscular - headache, tingling, tremor
State some proposed risk factors for development of anxiety disorders
Often an initial precipitant
- Genetic
- Upbringing
- Personality type e.g. more likely to worry or due to personality disorder
Often maintained by stressful life events or patterns of thinking
State the 3 factors involved in the CBT model
- Thoughts
- Feelings
- Behaviours
List some factors to consider when prescribing SSRIs for anxiety
- Short term increase in anxiety and suicide
- Review within a month, then 3 monthly thereafter
- Drug interactions
List some potential drug interactions for SSRIs
- Cough medication (drowsiness)
- NSAIDs (bleed risk)
- Alcohol (increased potency of alcohol)
- Cocaine (serotonin syndrome)
Outline the management of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)
Stepwise treatment plan, escalating as appropriate
Step 1: Education (lifestyle measures) + active monitoring
Step 2: Low intensity psychological interventions
Step 3: High intensity psychological intervention
- CBT
- First line medications: antidepressants SSRIs / SNRIs
- Avoid Benzodiazepines (risk of addiction)
(continue treatment after remission for at least 6 months to ensure remission)
Step 4: highly specialist treatment e.g. high intensity psychological intervention, drug treatment, MDT involvement and crisis team
Outline agoraphobia (features from ICD-10 classification) and how it differs from social phobia
Fears of:
- Leaving home
- Entering shops / crowds / public places
- Travelling alone in trains, buses or planes
Co-morbid panic disorder, depressive symptoms, obsessional symptoms and social phobias often
Different from social phobia, fine with social situations, as long as at home
Briefly state what a social phobia is (features from ICD-10 classification)
- Fear of scrutiny by other people, leading to avoidance of social situations
- General anxiety symptoms present
- Symptoms may progress to panic attack
Outline the management of phobias (agoraphobia, social phobia, specific phobia)
- Self-help techniques
- CBT and other talking therapies
- SSRIs
Briefly state what a panic disorder is, based on ICD-10 classification
- Recurrent attacks of severe anxiety (panic)
- Not restricted to any particular situation / circumstances (unpredictable)
- Secondary fear of dying, losing control, or going mad