Anxiety Disorders: A Case Study

Epidemiology

There has been an increase of epidemiologic research for anxiety disorders. Anxiety was viewed as the most important symptom, and sometimes a cause for a variety of psychiatric disorders. it was mostly mentioned on the DSM-1 and 2. However this changed with the third edition of Diagnostic and Statistical manual of Mental Disorders (1980). Anxiety was not viewed as the most important symptom anymore. In this edition, anxiety was divided into different disorders with specifics for each one. Each of the disorders were operationalized and defined. (Eaton, 2011)

Because of changes in criteria, the research about GAD has been slow. In a study (defined by the criteria in DSM-IV) made in European countries, it resulted that anxiety is

Some say that it I a trait that may last for the whole life. If this is the case, then the studies should have been focusing on learning in early childhood. But there have been no such studies. (Ronald M. Rapee, 1991). It was Togersen who found that GAD was more frequent than panic disorder to report the death of their legal guardian before being 16 years old. (Togersen 1986, cited in Rapee, 1991) What is important to mention, is that in most studies, the individuals who participated had been through some trauma during their childhood. Rapee (1885) said that many people manifested the GAD symptoms later in life. So for many people, the disorder either begins later, or eventually the symptoms worsen until they become a bigger problem in their

In DSM-5 it is stated that the average age onset for generalized anxiety disorder is 30 year. However it may vary. Many times these individuals experience some of the symptoms, but they thin it is in their personality to worry a lot. It is rare to distinguish the symptoms before adolescence as it is very rare for them to happen. These symptoms are chronic and stable and rates of a complete recovery are very low. The nature of the worrisome thoughts it’s different in different ages. As it is mentioned children and adolescents worry more about school performance. The elderly worry more about their safety and physical diseases. However generalized anxiety disorder can be overdiagnosed in children. But It can be comorbid or confused with separation anxiety, social anxiety disorder and