Anxiety Disorders Diagnostic Criteria

Question 1

Panic Disorder

Answer 1

• Recurrent unexpected panic attacks. Is an abrupt surge of intense fear/discomfort that reaches peak within minutes and during which 4+ of the following symptoms occur:
  –Palpitations/pounding heart/accelerated heart rate
  –Sweating
  trembling/shaking
  –Sensations of shortness of breath/smothering
  –Feelings of choking
  –Chest pain/discomfort
  –Nausea/abdominal distress
  –Dizziness/unsteady/light-headed/faint
  –Chills/heat sensations
  –Paresthesias (numbness/tingling)
  –Derealization (feelings of unreality) / depersonalization (being detached from one-self)
  –Fear of losing control/”going crazy”
  –Fear of dying

-At least one attacks has been followed by 1+ months of 1+ of the following:
–Persistent concern/worry about panic attacks/their consequences
–Significant maladaptive change in behavior related to the attacks

-Disturbance is not attributable to physiological effects of substances/medical condition

-Not better explained by other mental disorder

Question 2

Agoraphobia

Answer 2

-Fear/anxiety about 2+ of the following situations:
–Using public transport
–Being in open spaces
–Being in enclosed places
–Standing in line/being in a crowd
–Being outside of the home alone

-Fears/avoids those situations because of thoughts that escape might be difficult/unavailable if panic-like/incapacitating/embarrassing symptoms occur

-Situations almost always cause fear/anxiety

-Situations are avoided/require companion/endured w fear/anxiety

-Fear/anxiety is out of proportion to actual danger from situations and sociocultural context

-Fear/anxiety/avoidance is persistent, 6+ months

-Fear/anxiety/avoidance causes significant distress/impairment in social/occupational/other areas of functioning

-If another medical condition is present, fear/anxiety/avoidance is excessive

-Fear/anxiety/avoidance not better explained by other mental disorder

Question 3

Specific Phobia

Answer 3

-Marked fear/anxiety about specific object/situation

-Phobic object/situation almost always causes immediate fear/anxiety

-Phobic object/situation is avoided/endured w intense fear/anxiety

-Fear/anxiety is out of proportion to actual danger from object/situation and to the sociocultural context

-Fear/anxiety/avoidance is persistent, typically 6+ months

-Fear/anxiety/avoidance causes significant distress/impairment in social/occupational/other areas of functioning

-Not better explained by other mental disorders

Question 4

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Answer 4

-Excessive anxiety/worry occurring more days than not for 6+ months about several events/activities

-Difficult to control the worry

-Anxiety/worry are associated with 3+ of the following symptoms:
–Restlessness/feeling keyed up/on edge
–Easily fatigued
–Difficulty concentrating/mind going blank
–Irritability
–Muscle tension
–Sleep disturbance

-Anxiety/worry/physical symptoms cause significant distress/impairment in social/occupational/other areas of functioning

-Disturbance not attributable to physiological effects of substances/medical condition

-Not better explained by other mental disorder

Question 5

Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia)

Answer 5

-Fear/anxiety about 1+ social situations in which individual is exposed to possible scrutiny by others

-Fears that they will act in a way/show anxiety that will negatively evaluated

-Social situations almost always provoke fear/anxiety

-Social situations avoided/endured with fear/anxiety

-Fear/anxiety is out of proportion to actual threat from situation and sociocultural context

-Fear/anxiety/avoidance persistent, 6+ months

-Fear/anxiety/avoidance causes significant distress/impairment in social/occupational/other areas of functioning

-Fear/anxiety/avoidance not attributable to physiological effects of substances/other medical conditions

-Fear/anxiety/avoidance not better explained by other mental disorder

-If another medical condition is present, fear/anxiety/avoidance is unrelated or excessive

Question 6

Separation Anxiety Disorder

Answer 6

-Developmentally inappropriate & excessive fear/anxiety being separation from those to whom the individual is attached, evidenced by at least three (3) of the following:
–Recurrent excessive distress when anticipating/experiencing separation from home/major attachment figures
–Persistent/excessive worry about losing attachment figures OR possible harm to them
–Persistent/excessive worry about untoward event happening that causes separation
–Persistent reluctance/refusal to go out/away from home/to school/work/elsewhere because of fear of separation
–Persistent/excessive fear/reluctance about being alone OR w/o attachment figures at home/other settings
–Persistent reluctance/refusal to sleep away from home OR w/o being near attachment figure
–Repeated nightmares involving separation
–Repeated complaints of physical symptoms when separation occurs/is anticipated

-Fear/anxiety/avoidance is persistent, at least 4 weeks in children/teens, 6 months+ in adults

-Disturbance causes significant distress/impairment in social/academic/occupational/other areas of functioning

-Not better explained by other mental disorders

Question 7

Selective Mutism

Answer 7

-Consistent failure to speak in social situations where it’s expected despite speaking in other situations

-Disturbance interferes with education/occupational achievement or w social communication

-Duration is at least 1 month

-Failure to speak is not attributed to lack of knowledge/comfort w the language required

-Not better explained by other disorders