[Anxiety disorders in the elderly--diagnostic problems and therapeutic prospects]

Anxiety disorders in elderly patients have up to now represented a neglected gerontopsychiatric field of medical research, although they represent epidemiologic quite significant disorders also on this age. Diagnosis of an anxiety disorder in the elder age group may be more difficult than in other age groups, as anxiety symptoms may manifest more on the somatic base or they are unclear as in the phobic disorder. An integrative disorder model, in which the etiologic relevant biologic and psychologic causes are united, seems to be more effective under theoretic-heuristic as well as therapeutic aspects than the present monoetiologic anxiety models. The present experiences in the pharmacologic, psychotherapeutic and especially behaviour therapeutic treatment of anxiety disorders can be effective in the older age. A casuistic with a combined treatment of pharmaco- and behaviour therapy is presented and discussed. It is clearly shown that a comprehensive psychiatric-psychological point of view of anxiety disorders may be helpful above all the development of age appropriative therapy concepts.