Exam I, Unit 3: Anxiety

Question 1

Anxiety

Answer 1

Type of emotion characterized by physical symptoms, future-oriented thoughts, and escape/avoidance behavior
-Usually time-limited

Question 2

Fight/flight

Answer 2

Activation of SNS by fear/stress
-Alarm to present danger

Question 3

Elements of Anxiety

Answer 3

1. Physiological response (HR up, sweating, dizzy, ringing in ears, shortness breath)
2. Cognitive symptoms/distress
   (Worry, thoughts and impulses)
3. Behavioral response (avoidance/escape behavior)

Question 4

Autonomic Nervous system and anxiety

Answer 4

has the sympathetic NS (fight or flight) and the parasympathetic NS (rest and digest)

Question 5

Normal vs. abnormal anxiety considerations

Answer 5

-Presence functional impairment
-Developmental age
-Sociodemographic factors

Question 6

Panic Disorder

Answer 6

Having at least 1 panic attack with worry about more
-Must be unexpected/unprovoked by stimulus!
-Often concerned will impact health (losing my mind? heart attack?)
-Leads to change in behavior to avoid having panic attacks

Question 7

Symptoms of panic attack

Answer 7

Heart palpitations, shortness breath, feelings DR/DP, sweating, shaking

Question 8

Panic Attack

Answer 8

Discrete period of intense physical and emotional arousal
-Abrupt
-Symptoms can peak rapidly
-Somatic (increase HR) and cognitive (DR/DP) symptoms
-Can be expected or unexpected

Question 9

Agoraphobia

Answer 9

Intense fear/anxiety that occurs when exposed to/anticipates broad range of situations
-Fear being embarrassed by symptoms
-Ex: public transport, open/closed spaces, crowds

-More woman than men
-Symptoms vary cross-culturally

-Exposure therapy

Question 10

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Answer 10

Frequent or excessive worry and anxiety out of proportion of actional situation

-At least 6 months
-Persistent, reoccurant

-Predominant in adults
-Physical and cog. symptoms

Question 11

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)

Answer 11

Marked by fear of social situations where could be judged

-High comorbidity w/ other anxiety disorders
-Onset tweens/teens
-Impacts sexes equally

-Often thought distortions

-57% comorbidity for another anxiety disorder or depression

Question 12

Selective Mutism

Answer 12

Consistent failure to speak (when can) in certain situations

(ex: speak to family, not at school)
-Onset 3-6 yrs
-Doesn’t occur at home w/ family
-Not same expression as fear of judgement though
-Overlap w/ SAD

Question 13

Specific Phobia

Answer 13

Marked by fear/anxiety about specific object or situation
Criteria:
1. Significant emotional distress
2. Impairs aspect of daily functioning

-Impact all ethnic groups, more common in women

Question 14

Specifiers of Specific phobia

Answer 14

1. Animal phobia
2. Natural environment phobia
3. Blood-injection-injury phobias
4. Situational phobias
5. Other

Question 15

Separation Anxiety Disorder

Answer 15

Developmentally inappropriate and excessive anxiety about separation from primary caregiver attached to

-Primarily affects children, affects all ethnic backgrounds
-Worry about caregiver being harmed
-May not want to go to school
-Tummy aches, headaches
-Sleep w/ parents

-Possible relationship to panic disorder in adulthood

Question 16

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Answer 16

Intense psychological/physiological reaction to events or situations that represent traumatic event experienced or observed

-Activity in SNS (fight/flight) increases

-In adults

Cycle:
-Hyperarousal (overactive NS)
-Re-experiencing
-Alterations of thought/mood
-Avoidance

-Exposure to actual or threatened death/serious injury/sexual violence

Question 17

Symptoms of PTSD

Answer 17

-Intrusion (re-experiencing)
-Hyper vigilance
-Eggageration of startle response
-Avoidance of sitations or objects associated w/ trauma

Question 18

Etiology

Answer 18

The cause of a mental illness

Question 19

Etiology- Bio Perspective

Answer 19

Considerations:
-Family and genetics–> anxiety runs in families
-Neuroanatomy–> explained by differences in brain function and structure
-Ineffective levels of NTs

Question 20

Etiology of Anxiety– Psychodynamic Theories

Answer 20

1. Free-floating anxiety result of conflict btw. id and ego
2. Defense mechanisms operative in development of phobias (ex: little hans and white rabbit)

Question 21

Etiology– Behavioral Theories

Answer 21

1. Classical conditioning–> Fear is a learned behavior that works through classical conditioning,
   explains onset of anxiety disorders
2. Vicarious learning theory–> Observational learning,
   Previous positive experiences are protective
3. Information transmission–> someone instructs someone else that something is scary or dangerous

Question 22

Anxiety Treatments

Answer 22

1. Medication (SSRIs)
2. CBT (Behavioral/cog-beh therapy)- most successful psych treatment
3. Exposure therapy
4. Social Skills training
5. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
6. Psychodynamic therapy- talk through issues

Question 23

Etiology: Cognitive theories fear aquisition

Answer 23

1. Inaccurate interpretation of internal or external events
   (misinterp of ambiguous situations as dangerous)
2. Fear of Fear model- hypersensitivity to bodily functions, cycle of worry
3. Anxiety Sensitivity- Belief that anxiety symptoms will result in negative consequences

Question 24

Interpersonal Psychotherapy

Answer 24

Targets interpersonal disputes and complicated grief reactions

-Success for social anxiety disorder (SAD) and PTSD