Psychology 2042A/B Chapter Notes - Chapter 11: Separation Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Anxiety Disorder
30 Apr 2018
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Chapter 11- Anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders:
• Anxiety disorder one most common mental health probs youth w lifetime prev 8-30%
• Often go unnoticed and untreated= maybe frequent occurrence fears and anxiety during
norm dev, invisible nature symptoms and fact anxiety not nearly as damaging other
people/ property as are conduct probs
• Long time thought anxiety in kids mild and transitionary fade over time- now know
impairs many aspects life and cont display anxiety and other probs into adolescence and
adulthood- anxiety disorder childhood one strongest predictors most other later MD
• Anxiety disorders in children common, distressing, long-lasting and costly
Description of anxiety disorders:
• Anxiety- mood state characterized by strong neg emotion and bodily symptoms of
tension in which child apprehensively anticipates future danger/ misfortune (fear)
• Excessive and debilitating anxieties= anxiety disorders
• Many youth suffer more one type anxiety, simultaneously/ separate times dev
Experiencing anxiety:
• Anxiety expected and normal certain ages and certain sits- often hit us when do
something imp and moderate doses helps think and act more eff= adaptive emotion
readies psych and physically coping w people, objects/ events could be dangerous safety/
well-being
• Excessive, uncontrollable anxiety can be debilitating- exp fears beyond certain age, in sit
no real danger/ threat and extent seriously interferes daily activities, anxiety serious prob
• Neurotic paradox- pattern self-defeating behav- can become self-perpetuating
• Anxiety involves immed reaction to perceived danger/ threat= fight/flight response- all
effects aimed escaping pot harm, either by confronting source danger (fight)/ evading it
(flight)
• Anxiety expressed through 3 interrel response systems: physical, cog and behav
Physical system:
• Perceive/ anticipates danger, brain sends message sympathetic nervous system=
fight/flight- activation prod many imp chem and physical effects mobilize body action:
o Chemical effects- adrenaline and noradrenaline released adrenal glands
o Cardiovascular- heart rate and strength heart beat increase, readying body action
speeding up blood flow and improving delivery oxygen to tissues
o Respiratory- speed and depth breathing increases, brings oxygen tissues and
removes waste= feelings breathlessness, choking/ smothering/ chest pains
o Sweat glands- sweating increases, cools body and makes skin slippery
o Other physical effects- pupil widen= more light= blurred vision/ spots. Salivation
decreases=dry mouth. Decreased activity digestive system= nausea and heavy
feeling in stomach. Muscles tense fight/fight, leading subj feelings tension, aches
and pains and trembling
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• Fam signs anxiety- overall prod gen activation entire metabolism= feel hot and flushed
and activation takes lot energy= tired and drained after
Cognitive system:
• Dif focus everyday tasks b/c att consumed constant search threat/ danger- can’t find
danger turn search inward (something wrong w them)/ distort sit/ both (invent explans)
• Activation cog system leads apprehension, nervousness, dif concentrating and panic
Behavioural system:
• Overwhelming urges accompany= agg and desire escape threatening sit, but social
constraints may prevent fulfilling either impulse
• Avoidance perpetuates anxiety, despite temp feeling relief= avoidance behav neg
reinforced- strengthened when followed rapid reduction anxiety (more avoid sit= engage
avoidance behavs more which make everyday activities dif)
Anxiety versus fear and panic:
• Fear- immed alarm reaction current danger/ life-threatening emergencies= present-
oriented emotional reaction current danger marked strong escape tend and all-out surge
sympathetic NS
• Anxiety future-oriented emotion charact feelings apprehension and lack control over
upcoming events might be threatening (only anxiety, not fear, felt no danger actually
present)
• Panic- group physical symptoms fight/flight response unexpectedly occur in absence any
obvious threat/ danger- sensations can feel threatening and may trigger further fear,
anxiety, apprehension and panic
Normal fears, anxieties, worries and rituals:
Normal fears:
• Whether or not specific fear norm depends on age and effect child and how long lasts-
min impact and lasts few weeks, likely part norm dev
• Number and types common childhood fears change over time w gen age-rel decline in
number- specific fears still common older kids and still distress and sig impairing
• Girls tend have more fears boys at almost every age, rate more fearful and fears more
intense and disabling than boys
• Some school-rel fears stable and others, social fears, may increase w age
Normal anxieties:
• Various types anxieties evident 4- most frequent kids separation anxiety, test anxiety,
overconcern competence, excessive need reassurance and anxiety about harm to parent
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• Younger= more anxiety symptoms older (separation) and girls more anxiety boys, but
gen exp sim types symptoms- nervous and anxious symp may not show age-decline
specific fears
• Anxious symp may reflect stable trait predisposes kids dev excessive fears rel stage dev-
disposition be anxious remain stable over time, even though objects fears change
Normal worries:
• Moderate doses, worry can help kids prepare future- older kids report greater variety and
complexity worries and better able describe them than younger kids (anxiety central
worries and intensity, worry feat anxiety)
Normal rituals and repetitive behaviour:
• Ritualistic, repetitive activity extremely common young kids- prefs sameness env, rigid
likes and dislikes, perf symmetry, awareness minute details/ imperf toys/ clothes and
arranging things just right
• Help gain control and mastery over social and physical envs and make world more
predictable and safer
• Many common routines fall into repetitive behavs and doing things just right- research
sugg neuropsych mech underlying compulsive, ritualistic behav norm dev and OCD may
be sim
Anxiety disorders according to DSM-5:
Separation anxiety disorder:
• Imp young child’s survival and norm certain ages- lack separation anxiety 7 month
through preschool years may sugg insecure attachment/ other probs- some cont display
after typical/ expected
• Persists at least 4 weeks and severe enough interfere norm daily routines like going
school/ P in rec activities= may be separation anxiety disorder
• Separation anxiety disorder (SAD)- display age-inapp, excessive and disabling distress
rel separation from parents/ other major attachment figures and fear being alone
• Frequently display excessive demands parents att by clinging to parents and shadowing
every move- often reluctant sleep separated parents at night (same bed/ floor outside
room)
• May also have specific fantasies/nightmares illness, accidents, kidnapping/ physical harm
• Fear new sits and may display physical symp- rapid heartbeat, dizziness, headaches,
stomach aches and nausea
• Avoid separation make fuss, scream, cry/ threaten suicide if parent leaves (suicide
attempts rare)- parents, esp moms, become highly distressed
• Can become increasingly withdrawn, apathetic and dep and risk dev other anxiety
disorders during adolescence
Prevalence and comorbidity:
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Document Summary
Decreased activity digestive system= nausea and heavy feeling in stomach. Muscles tense fight/fight, leading subj feelings tension, aches and pains and trembling: fam signs anxiety- overall prod gen activation entire metabolism= feel hot and flushed and activation takes lot energy= tired and drained after. Cognitive system: dif focus everyday tasks b/c att consumed constant search threat/ danger- can"t find danger turn search inward (something wrong w them)/ distort sit/ both (invent explans, activation cog system leads apprehension, nervousness, dif concentrating and panic. Normal worries: moderate doses, worry can help kids prepare future- older kids report greater variety and complexity worries and better able describe them than younger kids (anxiety central worries and intensity, worry feat anxiety) Onset, course and outcome: animals, darkness, insects, blood and injury typ onset 7-9, sim norm dev but persist over time than decline w age as norm fears do- specific phobias occur any age peak 10-13.
