Anxiety nature, theory & processes

Question 1

What is anxiety?

Answer 1

Basic emotion, a normal response to danger or thoughts as well as a psychological disorder

Question 2

What are the cognitive, behavioural and physiological traits of anxiety?

Answer 2

C: worry, hyper vigilance
B: fight or flight
P: heart rate/blood pressure increase

Question 3

What are the personality dimensions of anxiety

Answer 3

Trait anxiety, neuroticism

Question 4

What is trait anxiety?

Answer 4

People can be more prone to experience anxiety than others

Question 5

MZ twin studies of neuroticism

Answer 5

Found about 25% variance in neuroticism due to genetic factors

Question 6

Are there differences between high and low anxious-trait individuals in physiology?

Answer 6

No, but there are reliable cognitive differences

Question 7

Cognitive factor of trait anxiety

Answer 7

Positively correlated with selective attention to threat stimuli

Question 8

What is state anxiety?

Answer 8

Worrying due to something, it impacts performance more than trait anxiety

Question 9

Emotional Stroop task for anxiety and attention bias

Answer 9

Phobics paid more attention to fear related words

Question 10

Dot probe task for anxiety and attention bias

Answer 10

Trait anxious and anxious patients focus on threat word

Question 11

Homophone spelling: listen to words with 2 alternative meanings for anxiety and attention bias

Answer 11

Trait anxious write threatening word

Question 12

Explanation of threat bias: Processing stage theory (Williams et al., 1988)

Answer 12

Anxiety effects automatic processing leading to bias, bottom-up process
(Threat -> state effect -> trait effect)

Question 13

Eyesnck (1992) Hyper-vigilance theory

Answer 13

Trait anxious ppl scan environment for threat excessively and lock onto it
Unclear if bottom-up or top-down & if anxiety is automatic or strategic

Question 14

S-REF theory (Wells & Matthews, 1994)

Answer 14

Anxiety associated with activation of cognitive attentional syndrome (CAS) which involves self-focus, worry, monitoring for threat and ironic coping responses

Question 15

Nordahl et al (2019) Metacognitive beliefs

Answer 15

Metacognitive beliefs predicted proneness to both domains of trait anxiety (anxiety and depression)
These beliefs may be an underlying mechanism of vulnerability attributed to trait-anxiety

Question 16

When is anxiety a disorder?

Answer 16

When it interferes with functioning, is prolonged/excessive, impairs quality of life

Question 17

Name 3 of the DSM5 Anxiety disorders

Answer 17

Any of:
Separation anxiety, selective mutism, specific phobia, social anxiety disorder, panic attack, agoraphobia, generalised anxiety disorder, substance induced, anxiety due to medical condition, unspecified anxiety disorder

Question 18

Symptoms of a panic attack

Answer 18

Increased heart rate, swearing, dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath, immediate sense of catastrophe

Question 19

Name 3 OCD & related disorders

Answer 19

OCD, BDD, Hoarding, trichotillomania (hair pulling), skin picking, substance induced OCD

Question 20

Name 3: Trauma and stress disorders

Answer 20

Reactive attachment disorder, disinhibited social engagement disorder, PTSD, acute distress disorder, adjustment disorders

Question 21

DSM-V criteria for PTSD

Answer 21

• Recurrent memories, flashbacks, physiological reactions-
• Avoidance
  Alternation in cognition and mood associated w trauma

Question 22

What is Acute stress disorder (ASD)

Answer 22

Memory difficulties, increased arousal
Within 4 weeks of exposure to trauma
Normal response
If it persists, it becomes PTSD

Question 23

What is Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)

Answer 23

Fear of performance or social situations in which person is subject to scrutiny, exposure almost invariably causes anxiety

Question 24

Symptoms of social anxiety disorder

Answer 24

Sweating, shaking, blushing, blank mind, fear of humiliation

Question 25

Social skills deficit explanation of SAD

Answer 25

Little support, patients lack social skills

Question 26

Cognitive behaviours model (Clark & Wells, 1995) for SAD

Answer 26

• Draws on Beck’s schema theory and cognitive model by Wells
• Coping responses and cognitive processes are central to anxiety maintenance, rather than deficits
• Person w social anxiety has underlying beliefs about the social world which lead to negative thoughts in social situations

Question 27

Why doesn’t social anxiety self-correct - Clark & Well’s Model

Answer 27

Self-focused attention, processing of inner image, safety behaviours and avoidance, anticipatory processing, the post mortem

Question 28

How do safety behaviours maintain anxiety

Answer 28

They contaminate social situations and maintain cognitive and somatic symptoms

Question 29

What is anticipatory processing

Answer 29

• Happens before entering feared situation, hours or days ahead
• Difficulty in having an experience that challenges negativity

Question 30

What is involved in the Post mortem for Clark & Wells model

Answer 30

• Upon leaving a feared situation, ruminating and analysing performance
• Reinforces negative inner image, even if interaction was positive
• Rumination biases cognition and maintains anxiety