Anxiety Disorders Flashcards
category of psychological disorders in which fear or tension is overriding and is the primary disturbance
anxiety disorders
a mood state characterized by marked negative affect and bodily symptoms of tension in which a person apprehensively anticipates future danger or misfortune
anxiety
emotion of an immediate alarm reaction to present danger or life-threatening emergencies
fear
sudden, overwhelming fright or terror
panic
an abrupt experience of intense fear or discomfort accompanied by physical symptoms
panic attack
type of panic attack in which the cause is known and that only occurs in specific situations
expected (or cued) panic attack
type of panic attack that can occur at any time and whose cause is unknown
unexpected (or uncued) panic attack
How many symptoms are required to meet the diagnostic criteria for a panic attack?
at least 4 symptoms
biological reaction to alarming stressors that musters the body’s resources to resist or flee a threat, where glucose, endorphins, and hormones are secreted, and heart rate, metabolism, blood pressure, breathing, and muscle tension are elevated
fight-or-flight response
brain circuit in animals that, when stimulated, causes an immediate alarm and escape response that resembles human panic
fight/flight system (FFS)
a set of brain structures, including the amygdala, that tends to be activated when the individual is feeling anxious or fearful
fear circuit
brain circuit in the limbic system that responds to threat signals by inhibiting activity and causing anxiety
behavioral inhibition system (BIS)
State at least 1 part of the fear circuit and its implication in anxiety disorders.
- The BIS is overactive.
- The limbic system is overly responsive.
- There is less activity in the medial prefrontal cortex.
State at least 1 neurotransmitter and its implication in anxiety disorders.
- GABA (depleted)
- Serotonin (deficient)
- Norepinephrine (higher than normal)
a tendency of infants to become agitated and cry with novel stimuli, which manifests alter on as shyness, fearfulness, irritability, cautiousness, and introversion
behavioral inhibition
State at least 1 personality factor implicated in anxiety disorders.
- Elevated behavioral inhibition
- High neuroticism
Mowrer’s theory of avoidance learning, according to which fear is attached to a neutral stimulus by pairing it with a noxious unconditioned stimulus (classical conditioning); then, a person learns to escape the fear by avoiding the unconditioned stimulus (operant conditioning)
two-factor conditioning theory
State at least 1 cognitive factor that contributes to the development of anxiety disorders.
- Sustained negative beliefs about the future
- Sense of uncontrollability
- Greater attention to threat
- Anxiety sensitivity
a theory of the development of anxiety involving (1) generalized biological vulnerability, (2) generalized psychological vulnerability, and (3) specific psychological vulnerability
triple vulnerability theory
anxiety disorder characterized by intense, uncontrollable, chronic, unfocused, and continued worry that is distressing and unproductive and accompanied by physical symptoms
generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
How long should the excessive anxiety and worry persist to meet the diagnostic criteria for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)?
at least 6 months
How many symptoms are required to meet the diagnostic criteria for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)?
at least 3 (only 1 in children)
the cognitive tendency to chew on a problem and be unable to let go of it
worry
True or False: Symptoms of autonomic hyperarousal are less prominent in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) than in other anxiety disorders.
true
State at least 1 neurobiological factor associated with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
- Low cardiac vagal tone
- Overactive frontal lobe
- Overactive amygdala
- Elevated sympathetic nervous system activity
- Deficits in GABA
What does it mean to have comparatively low cardiac vagal tone, in relation to generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)?
Comparatively low cardiac vagal tone leads to autonomic inflexibility (lack of parasympathetic resources) because the heart is less responsive to certain tasks.
Thus, individuals with GAD do not respond as strongly to stressors as individuals with anxiety disorders in which panic is more prominent.
What is the implication of having GABA deficits, in relation to generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)?
Deficits in GABA (inhibitory neurotransmitter) functioning result in excessive firing of neurons, particularly in the limbic system (involved in attention to emotionally salient stimuli).
an etiological model of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) arguing that worrying helps people avoid awareness of threats and thus helps reduce their reactivity to unavoidable negative events; as a consequence of avoidance, their underlying anxiety about these images do not distinguish
cognitive avoidance model
State at least 1 cognitive factor contributing to the development of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
- Attentional bias to threat
- Cognitive avoidance of threat
- Concerns about losing control
State at least 1 social contribution to the development of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
- Trauma or stress
- Childhood maltreatment (i.e., negative parental behaviors)
- Maladaptive interpersonal behavior
What are the 2 medications usually prescribed to treat generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)?
- Benzodiazepines
- Antidepressants
Apart from cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT and cognitive therapy, what are the 3 psychotherapy approaches used to treat generalized anxiety disorder specifically (GAD)?
- Relaxation training
- Mindfulness-based approaches
- Emotion-regulation therapy (ERT)
psychotherapy approach that focuses on emotional awareness and regulation
emotion-regulation therapy (ERT)
anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent unexpected panic attacks accompanied by concern about future attacks and/or a lifestyle change to avoid future attacks
panic disorder
True or False: The presence of expected (cued) panic attacks rules out the diagnosis of panic disorder.
false
State either 1 of the symptoms required to meet the diagnostic criteria for panic disorder.
- Persistent concern or worry about additional panic attacks and their consequences
- A significant maladaptive change in behavior related to the attacks
How long should the worry and/or maladaptive behavior change related to panic attacks persist to meet the diagnostic criteria for panic disorder?
at least 1 month
limited-symptom attacks that do not meet full criteria for a panic attack
fearful spells
a phenomenon of waking from sleep in a state of panic
nocturnal panic attack
True or False: Panic disorder runs in families.
true
True or False: There is an increased risk for panic disorder among offspring of parents with somatic symptom and related disorders.
false
The risk is greater if the parents have a history of anxiety and mood disorders, not somatic symptom and related disorders.
What neurotransmitter is dysregulated in panic disorder, and where in the brain is it dysregulated?
norepinephrine in locus coeruleus