Anxiety Disorders

Question 1

What is the safest response to anxiety?

Answer 1

To avoid the thing that is causing you anxiety.

Question 2

What is the second safest response to anxiety?

Answer 2

Usually aggression; if you can’t avoid it, then you fight it.

Question 3

Eliciting condition: realistic/objective threat to self

Answer 3

Physical vs. social threat

Question 4

Eliciting condition: specific ‘prepared’ stimuli

Answer 4

Insects, animals, heights, enclosed places, anger

Question 5

Eliciting condition: novel sitmuli

Answer 5

Can cause you to feel anxious, because you don’t know what to expect from this situation

Question 6

What are the THREE interrelated anxiety systems?

Answer 6

Physical system - fight/flight

Cognitive system - perception of threat

Behavioural system - escape/avoidance tendencies

Question 7

THREE words to remember about anxiety

Answer 7

Avoidance; maintenance; exposure

Question 8

Anxiety disorder comorbidities

Answer 8

Anxiety disorders are highly comorbid with each other, depression, substance use

Question 9

Changes in Anxiety Disorders from DSM-4 to DSM-5

Answer 9

In DSM-5 it is now possible to be diagnosed with Separation Anxiety Disorder as a child or adult.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder was removed from the Anxiety chapter of DSM-4 and moved into its own chapter in DSM-5.

Same with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - it has its own category.

Trichotillomania is under it’s own heading.

Hoarding is now its own disorder within OCD.

Question 10

DSM-5 SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDER criteria

Answer 10

A. Marked fear or anxiety about one or more social situations in which the individual is exposed to possible scrutiny by others (in children, the anxiety must occur in peer settings and not just during interactions with adults).

B. The individual fears that they will act in a way or show anxiety symptoms that will be negatively evaluated.

C. The social situations almost always provoke fear or anxiety.

D. The social situations are avoided or endured with intense fear or anxiety.

E. The fear or anxiety is out of proportion to the actual threat posed by the social situation and to the sociocultural context.

Question 11

How long does fear or anxiety have to be seen to be classified as SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDER?

Answer 11

Fear, anxiety or avoidance is persistent, typically lasting for 6 months or more.

Question 12

Age of onset for SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDER?

Answer 12

Childhood or adolescence.

Course is chronic without treatment.

Question 13

Prevalence of SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDER in males and females?

Answer 13

Prevalence is 1.5-2.2. higher in women.

Question 14

SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDER comorbidites (4)

Answer 14

Other anxiety disorders; depression; substance use; avoidant personality disorder.

Question 15

Treatment for SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDER

Answer 15

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (often in group settings, about 2/3 achieve substantial improvement).

• Psychoeducation about maintaining factors; cognitive challenging of negative thoughts; behavioural experiments; reducing safety behaviours; attention training; video feedback.

Question 16

What characterises GENERALISED ANXIETY DISORDER?

Answer 16

Mainly characterised by excessive and uncontrollable worry about a variety of events/outcomes (the person is constantly worried about something).

Question 17

Time frame for GENERALISED ANXIETY DISORDER

Answer 17

Occurs more days than not, for at least 6 months.

Question 18

What makes GENERALISED ANXIETY DISORDER different from the other anxiety disorders?

Answer 18

It is the only one that doesn’t include increased heart rate, blushing, and other automatic arousal symptoms - it is instead characterised by semantic symptoms.

Question 19

Gender prevalence of GENERALISED ANXIETY DISORDER

Answer 19

Twice as many women are diagnosed than men - 2:1

but more men seek help with this disorder

Question 20

How much percent of the population meet diagnosis for GENERALISED ANXIETY DISORDER?

Answer 20

4%

Question 21

DSM-5 GENERALISED ANXIETY DISORDER criteria

Answer 21

A. Excessive anxiety and worry (apprehensive expectation), occuring more days than not for at least 6 months, about a number of events or activities.

B. The individual finds it difficult to control the worry..

C. The anxiety and worry are associated with three (or more) of the following six symptoms: restlessness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, irritability, muscle tension, sleep disturbance

Question 22

Define SELECTIVE MUTISM

Answer 22

Characterised by a consistent failure to speak in social situations in which there is an expectation to speak even though the individual speaks in other situations.

Question 23

Define SPECIFIC PHOBIA

Answer 23

Fearful or anxious about or avoidant of circumscribed objects or situations.

Question 24

Define SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDER (social phobia)

Answer 24

The individual is fearful or anxious about or avoidant of social interactions and situations that involve the possibility of being scrutinized.

Question 25

Define PANIC DISORDER

Answer 25

The individual experiences recurrent unexpected panic attacks and is persistently concerned or worried about having more panic attacks or changes their behaviour in maladaptive ways because of the panic attacks.

Question 26

Define AGORAPHOBIA

Answer 26

Individuals are fearful and anxious about two or more of the following situations: using public transportation; being in open spaces; being in enclosed places; standing in line or being in a crowd; being outside of the home alone in other situations.

Question 27

Aims of Ponniah, Magiati & Hollon (2013) study

Answer 27

Review randomised controlled trials of psychological treatments for OCD in adults using criteria that differentiates between interventions that are efficacious and specific.

Question 28

Define efficacious and specific

Answer 28

Two or more independent research groups have found that the treatment leads to a better outcome than another treatment.

Question 29

Define efficacious

Answer 29

At least two independent research teams have shown the treatment to be more efficacious than its absence.

Question 30

Define possibly efficacious

Answer 30

Supported by evidence from only one research group awaiting replication.

Question 31

Based on Ponniah, Magiati and Hollon’s (2013) study, what would be the treatment of choice for a person with OCD.

Answer 31

Exposure and response prevention (either flooding or gradual exposure).