Chapter 5 - Anxiety Disorders Flashcards
What are the DSM-5 Anxiety Disorders?
-Separation Anxiety Disorder
-Selective Mutism
-Specific Phobia
-Social Anxiety Disorder
-Panic Disorder
-Agoraphobia
-Generalized Anxiety Disorder
What is Anxiety?
-response to perceived or anticipated threat (vs actual immediate threat - fear)
What are the physiological symptoms of anxiety?
-racing heart
-difficulty breathing
-GI distress
-sweating
-tense muscles
-trembling/shaking
What are the cognitive symptoms of anxiety?
-anticipate harm
-worry
-exaggerate danger
-difficulty concentrating
-hypervigilance
What are the behavioural symptoms of anxiety?
-escape
-avoidance
How does the Flight or Fight response work?
-when our brain detects danger, it sends a signal to mobilize our body to prepare
-sympathetic nervous system activated the body for fight or flight
-it is necessary for survival, adaptive
-can be helpful - prepare or motivate us
What is the Yerkes-Dodson Law?
-this law states that we have an optimal arousal level which results in optimal performance
-low arousal & weak performance = no motivation
-high arousal & weak performance = overwhelmed/distracted
When does anxiety become a disorder?
-when symptoms arise in the absence of real threat (unfounded fear) and it is…
–excessive, inappropriate, and/or pervasive
–causes significant distress and/or impairment
What is the prevalence of anxiety disorders?
-anxiety disorders are the most common mental health condition in the U.S.
How does the biological dimension explain anxiety?
-fear circuitry in the brain
-genetic influences
What is the Fear circuitry in the brain explanation of anxiety?
-brain structures implicated in anxiety disorders:
–amygdala, hippocampus, prefrontal cortex
–HPA activity triggers “fight-or-flight”
–overactivation may lead to AD
How does genetics influence anxiety?
-moderate heritability: numerous genes affect vulnerability
-neurotransmitter abnormality: variation in serotonin transporter gene associated with reduction in serotonin; increased anxiety and fear related behaviours
-behaviourally inhibited temperament (more shy/cautious)
How does the psychological dimension explain anxiety?
-behavioural factors
-cognitive factors
What are the behavioural factors of anxiety?
-classical conditioning: conditioned fear response in absence of danger; stimulus generalization (more feared stimuli)
-modeling feared responses
What maintains anxiety, according to the behavioural factors?
-avoidance or safety behaviours can reduce anxiety in the moment (negative reinforcement)
-safety behaviours: overt/covert actions performed to reduce distress associated with feared stimulus
-consequence: prevents learning of new information about the consequences of the feared event
What is negative appraisals (cognitive factors of anxiety)?
-interpreting [ambiguous] events as threatening):
-overestimation of likelihood of feared outcome;
-overestimation of severity (catastrophizing) if feared outcome were to occur
-being able to reappraise or look at a situation from different perspectives can minimize negative responses
What is anxiety sensitivity (cognitive factors of anxiety)?
-a tendency to interpret physiological changes in the body as signs of danger
-predicts development of panic attacks and anxiety disorders
-perceived threat –> anxiety –> increased autonomic activity –> symptoms interpreted as catastrophic (circle)
What are other cognitive factors that explain anxiety?
-limited sense of self-control and mastery (can’t tackle issues/threats)
-biased information processing/selective attention: increased attention toward threat; more quickly to notice feared cues even at low levels; results in selective attention –> threat-focused
How does the social and sociocultural dimension explain anxiety?
-stressful life events trigger existing vulnerabilities
-sociocultural factors: poverty, sex/gender
-exposure to discrimination and prejudice can increase anxiety
Why are women more frequently diagnosed with AD than men?
-women more anxious/worry more; more likely to report symptoms and seek treatment
-different exposure to trauma
-therapist bias in diagnosis
How is anxiety presented in different cultures?
-Western: social anxiety is fear of embarrassing oneself
-Asian: social anxiety is worries about being offensive to others
-Taijin Kyofusho (TKS): social anxiety in Japanese and Korean cultures
What are the DSM-5 Criterias for Specific Phobia?
-Marked fear/anxiety about a specific object or situation
-phobic object or situation almost always provokes immediate fear/anxiety
-phobic object or situation is actively avoided or endured with intense fear/anxiety
-the fear/anxiety is out of proportion to actual danger
-lasting 6 months or more
-cause significant distress or impairment
-not better explained by symptoms of another mental disorder
