Different stages of anxiety
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Different Stages of Anxiety
Childhood Anxiety: Early Onset and Comorbidity
Anxiety disorders often begin in childhood, with significant first incidence rates observed in this developmental period1. Common anxiety disorders in children include separation anxiety disorder, specific phobias, and social anxiety disorder3. These disorders are marked by excessive fear and anxiety that are out of proportion to the actual threat and can impair daily functioning3. Additionally, anxiety in childhood is frequently comorbid with major depressive disorder (MDD) and substance use disorders (SUD)1. Early onset of anxiety disorders in childhood significantly increases the likelihood of anxiety persisting into later developmental stages1.
Adolescent Anxiety: Stability and Gender Differences
During adolescence, anxiety symptoms can persist and manifest in various forms such as social phobia and generalized anxiety disorder8. Interestingly, the incidence of new anxiety disorders is lower in adolescence compared to childhood and adulthood1. Gender differences are notable, with boys showing a significant decrease in somatic/panic symptoms and separation anxiety disorder compared to girls8. Adolescence is also a critical period for the emergence of internalizing disorders, and anxiety symptoms during this stage can lead to negative outcomes if not addressed8.
Emerging Adulthood: Transition and Comorbidity
Emerging adulthood, defined as ages 18 to 23.9 years, is another critical period for anxiety disorders. The incidence of new anxiety disorders is lower in this stage compared to childhood and adulthood, but the presence of anxiety in earlier stages increases the risk of recurrence1. Anxiety disorders in this period are often comorbid with MDD and SUD, similar to other developmental stages1. This stage is characterized by significant life transitions, which can exacerbate anxiety symptoms and lead to chronic issues if untreated3.
Adulthood Anxiety: Chronicity and Treatment
In adulthood, the incidence of anxiety disorders rises again, with many individuals experiencing chronic and recurrent symptoms1. Anxiety disorders in adults are often comorbid with other mental health conditions such as depression and personality disorders, as well as physical conditions like thyroid and cardiac disorders3. Effective treatment options include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and pharmacological treatments such as selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-noradrenaline-reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)3. Combining these treatments may offer more effective outcomes than using either treatment alone3.
Biological and Clinical Markers Across Stages
Biomarkers for anxiety disorders, such as changes in brain structure and activity, neurotransmitter levels, and genetic variants, have been proposed to differentiate types of anxiety disorders4. However, their clinical utility is limited due to low specificity and sensitivity4. A stage-specific biomarker model is hypothesized to better understand the progression of anxiety disorders across different developmental stages4.
Conclusion
Anxiety disorders manifest differently across various developmental stages, with significant implications for incidence, recurrence, and comorbidity. Early identification and treatment are crucial to prevent chronicity and improve outcomes. Understanding the unique characteristics of anxiety at each stage can inform more effective, personalized treatment strategies.
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Most relevant research papers on this topic
Incidence, recurrence and comorbidity of anxiety disorders in four major developmental stages.
Anxiety disorders have higher incidence and recurrence rates in childhood and adulthood, with comparable comorbidity between anxiety disorders and major depressive disorder across all developmental periods.
Observational Study
Rigorous Journal
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The Input Anxiety Scale, Processing Anxiety Scale, and Output Anxiety Scale are valid and reliable tools for measuring anxiety in foreign language learning, but require modifications to better represent the 3-stage model of anxiety.
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Anxiety disorders are common and disabling conditions that often co-occur with other disorders, and effective psychological and pharmacological treatments can help manage them.
Rigorous JournalHighly CitedBiological and Clinical Markers to Differentiate the Type of Anxiety Disorders.
Biomarkers like brain changes and hormones may not accurately distinguish anxiety disorders, and their clinical utility is questionable due to low specificity and sensitivity.
An information processing model of anxiety: automatic and strategic processes.
Anxiety treatment aims to deactivate automatic primal threat modes and strengthen more constructive reflective modes of thinking, with verbal mediation being a necessary but not sufficient component.
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Anxiety disorders are most effectively treated with evidence-based psychotherapy and psychoactive medications, but future research should focus on individualised, precision medicine approaches.
Rigorous JournalHighly CitedThe three-year developmental trajectory of anxiety symptoms in non-clinical early adolescents.
Anxiety symptoms in early adolescents remain stable, with boys showing a decrease in somatic/panic symptoms, separation anxiety disorder, and total anxiety compared to girls.
Observational StudyThe relationship of sleep and anxiety in anxious subjects
Anxiety is linked to less sleep and lighter sleep, with shorter latency to stage REM and increased stage 1, potentially not specifically indicative of depression.
Observational StudyThe Age of Onset of Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorder subtypes have different onset ages, ranging from early adolescence to young adulthood, suggesting prevention strategies should focus on vulnerable age groups.
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