MEDI7111 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Irresistible Impulse, Public Toilet, Deskilling
Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety is a complex interrelationship between genetics, ANS function, cognitive and
behavioural factors.
Epidemiology
Anxiety disorders have a lifetime prevalence of 20%. It is a particularly relevant condition
in childhood as 80% of childhood anxiety goes untreated, which predicts anxiety &
depression in adulthood.
Fear vs Anxiety
Similarities
Anticipation of danger
Tense apprehension
Uneasiness
Elevated arousal
Negative affect (don’t enjoy the fear/anxiety)
Future oriented (usually not anxious about the past)
Accompanied by bodily sensations (e.g. palpitations)
Differences
Fear Anxiety
Specific focus of threat
Clear connection between threat and fear
Episodic
Declines with removal of threat
Bodily sensations of an emergency
Unable to identify focus of anxiety
Uncertain connection between threat and
fear
Prolonged and pervasive uneasiness
No clear onset/offset
Heightened vigilance
What makes it a Disorder?
Magnitude
oAbnormal: Severe & frequent anxiety which is not appropriate for the
stimulus
oNormal: Mild to fluctuating normal fear/anxiety
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Anxiety is a complex interrelationship between genetics, ans function, cognitive and behavioural factors. Anxiety disorders have a lifetime prevalence of 20%. It is a particularly relevant condition in childhood as 80% of childhood anxiety goes untreated, which predicts anxiety & depression in adulthood. Future oriented (usually not anxious about the past) Magnitude: abnormal: severe & frequent anxiety which is not appropriate for the stimulus, normal: mild to fluctuating normal fear/anxiety. Maladaptive: the fear & anxiety (or the attempts to avoid fear/anxiety) interfere with everyday function. Ability to do normal things (e. g. play at the park etc. ) The feeling of vulnerability leads to hypervigilance in determining threats when entering a novel or intimidating environment. There is rapid global scanning of the environment which becomes a narrow focus once a potential threat has been detected, all cognitive and emotional effort becomes devoted to focusing on this threat.
