Anxiety Signs and Symptoms

• Disorders that have common features of excessive fear and anxiety with related behavioral disturbances
• They commonly coexist with depressive symptoms or major depressive disorder especially in patients with severe anxiety

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

• Patient experiences persistent and excessive anxiety and worry about various domains, including work and school performance
  • Patient had difficulty in controlling almost everyday
• Symptoms that commonly occur are:
  • Multiple unexplained bodily symptoms
  • Insomnia
  • Irritability, muscle spasm
  • Restlessness
  • Easy fatigability
  • Difficulty concentrating

Panic Disorder 

• Patient experiences recurrent unexpected panic attacks and is persistently concerned or worried about having more panic attacks or the patient changes his/her behavior in maladaptive ways due to the panic attacks; it has episodic characteristics
• Symptoms that commonly occur are:
  • Dizziness
  • Chest pain or discomfort, shortness of breath
  • Palpitations or tachycardia
  • Nausea, gastrointestinal upset
  • Trembling, sweating, hot flushes, chills

Social Anxiety Disorder

• Patient is fearful or anxious about or avoids social interactions and/or performance situations that involve the possibility of being scrutinized
• Symptoms that commonly occur are:
  • Blushing
  • Sweating
  • Palpitations
  • Fear is so great that it interferes with normal functioning, relationships, social activities, or there is excessive distress concerning the phobia

General Anxiety Disorder

• Prevalence is 0.9% among adolescents and 2.9% in adults in the general population of the United States
  • While prevalence in other countries ranges from 0.4%-3.6%
  • Lower incidence among Asians, Africans, native Americans and Pacific Islander compared to Europeans
• Morbidity risk is 9%
• Usually occurs in middle aged individuals
• Ratio of occurrence in females than males is 2:1

Panic Disorder

• Prevalence is estimated to be 2%-3% in adults and adolescents in the general population across the United States and several European countries
  • Lower rates among Latinos, African Americans, Caribbean blacks and Asian Americans
  • Higher rates among American Indians and non-Latino whites
• Prevalence is estimated to be 0.1%-0.8% in Asia, Africa and Latin American countries
• Ratio of occurrence in females than males is 2:1
• Low prevalence rates in children <14 years of age
  • Peak prevalence during adulthood and declines in individuals >64 years of age

Social Anxiety Disorder

• Prevalence rate in United States is approximately 7% while in Europe is 2.3%
• There is comparable prevalence rates in children and adolescents with rates decrease with age
• Prevalence rates among adults ranges from 2%-5%
• Odds ratio of females than in males range from 1.5-2.2