ANXIETY DISORDERS

Did you know that: 

  • Anxiety Disorders are the most common "mental illness" in the U.S.
  • Women are more likely than men to suffer from an anxiety condition.
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a significant problem for veterans returning from service in Iraq and Afghanistan.
  • Anxiety conditions are associated with increased rates of substance abuse and depression.
  • Separation Anxiety Disorder in children may be a strong risk factor for panic disorder and depression in adulthood.
  • Anxiety disorders are relatively common in children and teens with Bipolar Disorder and usually emerge before Bipolar Disorder. If anxiety disorders are present, they may impact the onset, treatment, and course of Bipolar Disorder.
  • Almost 30% of youth with autism spectrum disorders also meet diagnostic criteria for social anxiety disorder (social phobia).
  • Children with anxiety disorders have high rates of chronic medical conditions such as asthma and allergies. Children with anxiety plus a chronic medical problem have higher rates of functional impairment and emotional problems, more somatic complaints, and are associated with higher levels of caregiver stress.
  • Long-term studies on elective mutism suggest that this childhood-onset anxiety disorder may be a precursor of adult social phobia.
  • A large study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health found that the combination of Cognitive-Behavior Therapy and sertraline (Zoloft) was more effective in treatment childhood anxiety disorders than either CBT alone or sertraline alone, but both CBT alone and sertraline alone were effective modalities for 60% (CBT) and 55% (sertraline) of children in the study.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

An Overview of Anxiety Disorders (PDF File)
NIMH, 2007. NIH Publication No. 06-3879

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (PDF File)
NIMH, 2007. NI H Publication No. 07-4677.

Panic Disorder (PDF File)
NIMH, 2008. NIH publication no. 08-4679.

Social Phobia  (Social Anxiety Disorder) (PDF File)
NIMH, 2007. NIH Publication No. 07-4678

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PDF File)
NIMH, 2008. NIH Publication No. TR–08–6388.

Helping Children Cope with Anxiety about War and Terrorism
Some on-site articles by other authors plus links to resources for parents and teachers (last updated January 2009)

Some Famous People with Anxiety Disorders
Just for inspiration

For Your Reference Shelf
Books on anxiety disorders of special interest to parents.

Links
Links to other web sites with information on anxiety disorders.

ANXIETY DISORDERS - POINTS OF INTEREST

Additional articles on dealing with school-related anxiety problems such as school avoidance and panic attacks in school are covered in the Education section. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is an anxiety condition, but is treated as a separate topic on this web site.

Tourette Syndrome "Plus" © Copyright 1998 - 2009 Leslie E. Packer, PhD. except as noted.
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This page last updated January 24, 2009. Reprint Policy. Privacy Policy. Contact.