GAD-Generalised Anxiety Disorder

Question 1

Eysenck, 1992

Answer 1

The primary function of anxiety is to facilitate the detection of danger or threat in potentially threatening environments

Question 2

What is GAD?

Answer 2

Prevalent in 5% of the population according to Wittchen et al 1994

Conscious / biological aspects

Twice as common in women as men
Often develops in late teens and/r in reactions to major stress

Question 3

Symptoms

Answer 3

Uncontrolled worry
Free floating anxiety 
Somatic symptoms 
Neurological aspects 
Comorbidity 
Occurs in many psychopathologies
Strong links with depression

Question 4

Anxiety =

Answer 4

Apprehension about future threat.
Involves physiological arousal -sympathetic nervous system
Can be adaptive -anxiety increases preparedness. Moderate levels improve performance

Question 5

Fear=

Answer 5

Response to an immediate threat
Sympathetic nervous system
Can also be adaptive
Fear triggers flight or fight. May save life

Question 6

3/4 of those with anxiety disorder meet criteria for another disorder

Answer 6

60% meet criteria for major depression (brown et al 2001)
Other disorders commonly comorbid with anxiety -substance abuse, personality disorders,avoidant, dependent, histrionic, medical disorders e.g. coronary hear disease

Question 7

Gender

Answer 7

More than twice as common in woman as men

Question 8

Onset

Answer 8

typically begins in adolescence

However- possible earlier onset

Question 9

Risk factors

Answer 9

Biological
Psychodynamic
Social
Cognitive

Question 10

Psychoanalytic view

Answer 10

Conflict between ID and EGO
Inexpressible impulses
Fear of punishment
Not symbolically associated (unlike phobia)

Question 11

Cognitive behavioural

Answer 11

A phobia with an impossibly broad range of fear eliciting stimuli ?
Perceived lack of control and misperception of danger.
Attentional biases

Question 12

Attentional biases

Answer 12

Eysenck and Byrne (1997)
Bannanoe(1992)
Rumination as a distraction from the real fear