First Aid: Anxiety and Adjustment Disorders Flashcards
List some autonomic s/s of anxiety.
- Palpitations
- Perspiration
- Dizziness
- Mydriasis
- GI disturbances
- Urinary frequency/urgency
What are the neurochemical imbalances of anxiety?
- Increased NE
- Decreased GABA
- Decreased serotonin
What is the lifetime prevalence of anxiety disorders in women?
30%
What is the lifetime prevalence of anxiety disorders in men?
19%
True or false: anxiety disorders are more common in low SES groups.
FALSE: more common in high SES
Panic attacks are typically seen with what disorders?
- Panic disorder (classically)
- Phobic disorders
- PTSD
What is the timeline for a panic attack?
- Peaks in several minutes
- Subsides within 25 minutes
- Rarely last > 1 hour
What is the DSM-IV criteria for panic attacks?
-Discrete period of intense fear and discomfort that is accompanied by at least 4 s/s
What are the s/s of a panic attack?
D-PANICS
- Depersonalization (feel detached from oneself), dizziness (light-headedness)
- Palpitations
- Abdominal distress (nausea)
- Numbness or tingling
- Intense fear of death, fear of losing control or “going crazy”
- Choking sensation, chest pain, chills (or hot flashes)
- Shortness of breath, sweating, shaking
What is the experience of panic attacks accompanied by persistent fear of having additional attacks?
Panic Disorder
What is the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for panic disorder?
- Spontaneous recurrent panic attacks with no obvious precipitant
- At least one of the attacks has been followed by a minimum of 1 month of either persistent concern about additional attacks, worry about implications of attack (Am I out of control?), and/or a significant change in behavior related to attacks (avoid situations, etc.)
What specifier do you need to add to the diagnosis of panic disorder?
with or without agoraphobia
What is agoraphobia?
fear of being alone in public places
What percentage of patients who present with chest pain (with normal angiograms) have panic disorder?
43%
On average, how frequent are attacks in those with panic disorder/
2 times per week (but can go from several times a day to a few times per year)
What is common in individuals with panic disorder between episodes?
anticipatory anxiety
What common substances may exascerbate anxiety in patients with panic disorder?
caffeine
nicotine
What is the lifetime prevalence of panic disorder?
2-5%
What is the gender most commonly affected with panic d/o?
females (2-3X more likely)
How much more likely are you to develop panic d/o if you have a first degree relative with it?
4-8X
What is the average age of onset for panic d/o?
- Late teens to early thirties
- Average 25
- May occur at any age
List the 4 conditions frequently associated with panic d/o and agoraphobia?
- MDD (depressive symptoms in 40-80%)
- Substance dependence (20-40%)
- Social and specific phobias
- OCD
What is the prognosis for panic d/o?
- 10-20% of patients continue to have significant symptoms that interfere with daily functioning
- 50% have mild, infrequent symptoms
- 30-40% remain free of symptoms after treatment
What is the acute initial treatment of anxiety?
Benzos (only short course) and taper off as you begin maintenance treatment
What is the maintenance treatment of anxiety?
- SSRIs (paroxetine and sertraline)–FIRST LINE
- Clomipramine, imipramine or other antidepressants
Why do you go low and slow with SSRIs?
Activation side effects are common in panic disorder patients which are anxiety symptoms that mimic those of panic
What is the differences in dosing of SSRIs for panic d/o versus MDD?
-Need higher doses than those required to treat depression
How long do you continue therapy for panic d/o?
8-12 months on SSRI (relapse is common after discontinuation)
True or false: beta blockers are equally effective in controlling anxiety symptoms in people with panic d/o as benzodiazepines
FALSE: they are not as effective as benzos
What percentage of patients with agoraphobia have coexisting panic d/o?
50-75% of patients
What is the DSM-IV criteria for diagnosis of agoraphobia?
- Anxiety about being in places or situations from which escape might be difficult/help would not be readily available in the event of a panic attack.
- Situations are either avoided, endured with severe distress, or faced only with the presence of a companion
- These symptoms cannot be better explained by another mental disorder
What is first line treatment for agoraphobia?
SSRIs
Which is worse, agoraphobia associated with or NOT associated with panic d/o?
if not associated with panic d/o, it is usually chronic and debilitating
Irrational fear that leads to avoidance of the feared object or situation.
Phobia
What are some common “specific phobias”?
Animals Heights Blood or needles Illness/injury Death Flying
What is another name for social phobia?
social anxiety disorder
What are some common social phobias?
Public speaking
Eating in public
Using public restrooms
What is the DSM-IV criteria for specific phobias?
- Persistent excessive fear brought on by a specific situation or object
- Exposure to situation brings about an immediate anxiety response
- Patient recognizes that fear is excessive
- Situation is avoided when possible or tolerated with intense anxiety
- If person is under age 18, duration must be at least 6 months
What is different about the DSM-IV criteria for social versus specific phobia?
social phobia has a feared situation related to social settings in which patient might be embarrassed or humiliated in front of other people