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Related Concept Videos

Anxiety: Overview01:18

Anxiety: Overview

332
Anxiety is a common mental disorder featuring excessive worry, fear, and apprehension, significantly affecting daily life. People with anxiety disorders experience persistent and intense anxiety, interrupting their everyday functioning.
Individuals with anxiety often experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms, including sweating, trembling, tachycardia, and disturbances in sleep patterns. These symptoms vary in intensity and frequency but are generally disruptive and distressing.
332
Generalized Anxiety Disorder01:30

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

178
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a chronic condition characterized by excessive and uncontrollable worry that persists for at least six months, significantly interfering with daily functioning. Unlike situational anxiety, which arises in response to specific stressors, GAD often occurs without a clear cause. Individuals may experience disproportionate worry about work, health, or relationships. For instance, a person might continuously fear poor health despite normal medical evaluations or...
178
Social Anxiety Disorder01:28

Social Anxiety Disorder

70
Social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia, is characterized by an intense fear of social situations where one might face humiliation, rejection, embarrassment, or negative evaluation. This disorder leads individuals to avoid activities like casual conversations, public speaking, or seemingly simple tasks such as eating, signing documents, or swimming, in public settings. Its impact extends beyond discomfort, often significantly interfering with daily functioning and quality of life.
70
Panic Disorder01:27

Panic Disorder

163
Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent and sudden minutes-long episodes of intense fear, known as panic attacks. These attacks may feel like heart attacks and often happen without warning or a specific cause. They can include symptoms such as rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, chest pain, trembling, sweating, dizziness, and a sense of helplessness. During a panic attack, individuals may feel as though they are experiencing a heart attack or are in a...
163
Anxiolytic Drugs: Overview01:26

Anxiolytic Drugs: Overview

423
Anxiolytic drugs are vital in managing anxiety disorders by effectively alleviating symptoms such as excessive fear, tachycardia, and tremors. There are several classes of anxiolytic medications, each with unique mechanisms of action and potential side effects.
Primary Types of Anxiolytic Drugs
1. Benzodiazepines:
Benzodiazepines bind to the GABA-A receptor in the brain, enhancing GABA's interaction. This action reduces neurotransmission, effectively blocking anxiety-associated limbic...
423
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder01:28

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

180
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition characterized by recurrent obsessions, compulsions, or both, which consume significant time and interfere with daily functioning. Obsessions involve persistent, intrusive, and unwanted thoughts, images, or urges that evoke anxiety. Common examples include irrational fears of contamination or harm. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors or mental acts performed to reduce the anxiety caused by obsessions. For instance, individuals...
180

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Related Experiment Video

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Social Isolation Model: A Noninvasive Rodent Model of Stress and Anxiety
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Anxiety Disorders: A Review.

Kristin L Szuhany1, Naomi M Simon1

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York.

JAMA
|December 27, 2022
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Anxiety disorders affect 34% of US adults, causing distress and impairment. Effective first-line treatments include cognitive behavioral therapy, SSRIs like sertraline, and SNRIs such as venlafaxine.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychiatry and Mental Health
  • Primary Care Medicine

Background:

  • Anxiety disorders have a significant lifetime prevalence of approximately 34% in the US.
  • These disorders are often chronic, leading to substantial impairment in quality of life and daily functioning.
  • Common anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and panic disorder, frequently presenting in primary care settings.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide an overview of anxiety disorders, including their prevalence, symptoms, and diagnostic approaches.
  • To highlight evidence-based first-line treatments for common anxiety disorders.
  • To inform clinicians on factors to consider when selecting treatments for patients with anxiety.

Main Methods:

  • Review of prevalence data for anxiety disorders in the US.
  • Description of characteristic symptoms and physical manifestations of anxiety disorders.
  • Summary of findings from meta-analyses on the efficacy of pharmacotherapy (SSRIs, SNRIs) and psychotherapy (CBT).

Main Results:

  • Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) demonstrate small to medium effect sizes compared to placebo for generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and panic disorder.
  • Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) shows large to medium effect sizes for generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and panic disorder, indicating significant efficacy.
  • Brief screening tools like the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) can assist in the diagnosis of anxiety disorders in primary care.

Conclusions:

  • Anxiety disorders are prevalent and impairing, necessitating effective management strategies.
  • Cognitive behavioral therapy, SSRIs (e.g., sertraline), and SNRIs (e.g., venlafaxine extended release) are established first-line treatments.
  • Treatment selection should be individualized, considering patient preferences, comorbidities, and practical factors like cost and access to care.