Seminar 5 Flashcards
Fear
Fear is momentary reaction to a perceived threat
Anxiety
fear-like state induced by a perceived threat, either actual or potential, present or anticipated
Function of anxiety
Yerkes-Dodson law
performance improves up to a threshold, and then falls off
Two aspects of anxiety
State anxiety is the immediate response to an event
Trait anxiety is the extent to which a person responds anxiously to events
The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)
A questionnaire for measuring anxiety in events (state) and as a personal characteristic (trait)
Pathological anxiety
Pathological anxiety causes avoidance behaviour, incessant worry and difficulties in concentration and memory
Biological Risk Factors
Genetics Brain biochemistry Overactive “fight or flight” response (typically due to prolonged stress) Medical conditions Substance use and withdrawal
Psychological risk factors
Poor coping skills Rigidity/inflexible problem solving Avoidance Impulsivity Extreme self-expectation Emotional instability Inability to focus on problems Cognitive distortions
Anxiety Disorders
Treatable but cannot be completely eliminated
DSM-V Anxiety disorders
Separation Anxiety Disorder Selective Mutism Specific Phobia Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia) Panic Disorder Panic Attack (Specifier)
Anxiety disorders left out from DSM-V
Obsessive compulsive disorder
Now under Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders
Post traumatic stress disorder
Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders
Separation anxiety disorder
Anxiety when separated from attachment figure
Selective mutism
Failure to speak in certain social situations
Specific phobia
Fear or anxiety about, or avoiding particular objects or situations
Blood-injection-injury phobia
Sight of blood or a needle induces fear and disgust
Causes of phobias
Fear of objects and situations may have an evolutionary origin (snakes, heights, disgusting things)
However, phobias seem to be learned, and so a behavioural approach is usually used for treatment
The most effective method is exposure therapy
Exposure therapy
The aim is to habituate the patient to the feared stimuli
Social anxiety disorder
Anxiety that causes avoidance of social interactions.
The ultimate fear
People are afraid of dying
They are also afraid of speaking in front of strangers
And what they’re really afraid is of dying while speaking in front of strangers
Panic attack
An intense anxiety attack which starts suddenly and peaks in approximately 10 minutes, and then gradually subsides
Cognitive behavioural model
internal/external triggers perceived threat anxiety misinterpretation physical/cognitive symptoms
Substance/medication induced anxiety disorder
Anxiety due to
substance intoxication
Treatment of OCD
Cognitive behavioural therapy
Treatment of PTSD
Trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy
