15.4 Anxiety Disorders - Psychology 2e | OpenStax

Learning Objectives

• Distinguish normal anxiety from pathological anxiety.
• List and describe major anxiety disorders and their prevalence.
• Describe psychological and biological factors in the etiology of anxiety disorders.

Anxiety vs. Fear

• Fear: Instantaneous reaction to an imminent threat.
• Anxiety: Apprehension, avoidance, and cautiousness regarding a potential threat.
• Anxiety is crucial for health, safety, and well-being.
• Excessive and disruptive anxiety may indicate an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety Disorders Overview

• Characterized by excessive and persistent fear and anxiety.
• Common: 25%-30% of U.S. population meets criteria for anxiety disorder in lifetime.
• More prevalent in women than in men.
• Often comorbid with other mental disorders.

Specific Phobia

• Fear of specific objects or situations (e.g., animals, flying).
• Recognition of irrational fear, but avoidance behaviors can disrupt life.
• Common phobias include acrophobia, arachnophobia, claustrophobia, etc.
• Agoraphobia: Separate anxiety disorder involving fear of situations where escape might be difficult.

Acquisition of Phobias

• Classical Conditioning: Association of a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus.
• Vicarious Learning: Observing others react fearfully.
• Verbal Information: Learning from others' descriptions of fears.
• Preparedness Theory: Evolutionary predisposition to fear certain stimuli.

Social Anxiety Disorder

• Fear or anxiety in social situations due to potential negative evaluation.
• Situations include public speaking, meeting strangers, eating in public.
• Safety behaviors may include avoiding eye contact and rehearsing sentences.
• Common and may lead to self-medication with alcohol.
• Behavioral Inhibition: A risk factor; involves fear and restraint in new situations.

Panic Disorder

• Panic Attack: Sudden period of extreme fear, peaks within 10 minutes.
• Symptoms include racing heart, sweating, trembling.
• Panic disorder involves recurrent attacks and fear of future attacks.
• Linked to abnormal norepinephrine activity in the locus coeruleus.
• Conditioning theories suggest panic attacks are responses to subtle sensations.
• Cognitive theories propose catastrophic misinterpretations lead to panic.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

• Excessive, uncontrollable worry about routine matters.
• Diagnosis requires persistent worry for at least six months with additional symptoms.
• Affects 5.7% of U.S. population; more common in females.
• Highly comorbid with mood disorders and other anxiety disorders.
• Genetic factors play a modest role; worry may serve as a distraction from negative emotions.