psych 323 chapter 11

anxiety disorders

What are the 3 components of anxiety?

Fear, worry, and physiological arousal

What is adaptive anxiety?

Normal, helpful anxiety that motivates problem-solving or protects from danger.

What is maladaptive anxiety?

Anxiety that is intense, chronic, and causes impairment in daily life.

What determines whether anxiety is a disorder?

Intensity, chronicity, and degree of impairment.

What is worry?

A cognitive response to threat in which the person considers and prepares for future danger or misfortune.

What is fear?

A behavioral and physiological reaction to immediate threat, in which the person responds to imminent danger by confrontation or escape.

What is anxiety?

An emotional state of psychological distress that reflects emotional, behavioral, physiological, and cognitive reactions to threatening stimuli.

What are the two types of anxiety that psychologists differ from?

fear and worry

What is social competence?

The ability to establish meaningful friendships and other social roles at school, co-curricular activities or sports.

What is Separation Anxiety Disorder?

Developmentally inappropriate and excessive fear of separation from caregivers.

How long must symptoms last for SAD?

At least 4 weeks.

Typical onset of SAD?

7–9 years old.

Causes of SAD?

Genetic factors, insecure attachment, parents’ anxieties/insecurities.

What is selective mutism?

Consistent failure to speak in social situations where speaking is expected.

How long must selective mutism last?

At least 1 month.

Typical onset of selective mutism?

2–4 years old

Causes of selective mutism?

Genetic factors, behavioral inhibition, Mowrer’s two-factor theory

What is specific phobia?

Marked fear/anxiety about a specific object or situation.

Duration requirement for specific phobia?

At least 6 months.

5 categories of phobias?

Animals, natural environment, blood-injection-injury, specific situations, other stimuli.

Most untreated anxiety disorder?

Specific phobia.

What is Social Anxiety Disorder?

Marked fear or anxiety about social situations involving possible scrutiny by others.

Duration requirement for social anxiety?

6 months.

What age is Social Anxiety Disorder usually diagnosed?

Not usually before 10 years old

Causes of social anxiety disorder?

• Genetic factors

• Behavioral inhibition

• Controlling/overprotective/critical parenting

• Modeling anxious behaviors

• Avoiding emotional discussions

What is panic disorder?

Recurrent unexpected panic attacks + 1 month of worry or behavior change.

What is a panic attack?

Abrupt surge of intense fear with physiological arousal and negative affect.

How common are panic attacks in adolescents?

18% experience a full-blown panic attack.

Causes of panic disorder?

Anxiety sensitivity, expectancy theory, complex factors.

What is agoraphobia?

Anxiety about situations where escape/help is difficult; avoidance of public spaces.

Is agoraphobia common in youth?

Rare in childhood and adolescence.

Causes of agoraphobia?

Genetic/environmental influences, classical conditioning

What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)?

Persistent, difficult-to-control worry with symptoms like restlessness, poor concentration, fatigue, irritability, muscle tension, sleep issues.

Key feature of GAD?

Apprehensive expectation.

GAD is associated with what other disorder?

Depression

Causes of GAD?

• Cognitive avoidance

• Cognitive distortions (catastrophizing, overgeneralizing, personalization)

What is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?

Obsessions and/or compulsions that are time-consuming and cause distress/impairment.

What are obsessions?

Intrusive, recurrent thoughts, urges, or images.

What are compulsions?

Repetitive behaviors or mental acts done to reduce anxiety

What is Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)?

Excessive preoccupation with perceived appearance flaws; repetitive behaviors; distress.
Onset around 12–13 years old.

What is trichotillomania?

Repeated pulling out of hair resulting in hair loss;

How is trichotillomania different from OCD?

No obsessions or mental images; person is aware of behavior.

What is excoriation disorder?

Recurrent skin picking → lesions; distress/impairment. Often co-occurs with OCD, trich, depression/anxiety.

What is exposure therapy?

Gradual exposure to feared situations to reduce anxiety.

What is systematic desensitization?

Exposure paired with relaxation techniques.

What is modeling in behavior therapy?

Therapist demonstrates desired behavior to reduce fear.

What is contingency management?

Using rewards for desired behaviors.

What is CBT?

Therapy focused on changing maladaptive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Cognitive triangle = thoughts → feelings → behaviors.

What medications are used for anxiety/OCD?

SSRIs, often combined with CBT.

What is Exposure and response prevention (EX/RP)?

A behavioral intervention used to treat OCD; involves exposing oneself to a series of stimuli that elicit obsessions and avoiding their corresponding compulsive behaviors.

What is self-monitoring?

A behavioral intervention to treat unwanted actions; the individual observes and records the frequency of the actions during the course of the day.

What is habit reversal training?

the person engages in a behavior that, when carried out, makes it impossible to produce the unwanted action.

What is behavioral psychotherapy?

Designed to help clients learn to change their problematic behaviors and/or the environmental circumstances that support those behaviors.

What is the task of a behavioral psychotherapist?

Help clients learn how to modify problematic behaviors and learn new/more adaptive ones.

What are the two types of trichotillomania?

Focused hair pulling

Automatic hair pulling

What are repetitive behaviors in body dysmorphia? 

The person performs repetitive behaviors or mental acts in response to their appearance concerns like mirror checking, excessive grooming, skin picking, or comparing their appearance to others.

What are the four obsessive-compulsive and relate ddisorders? 

•Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

•Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)

•Trichotillomania

•Excoriation (skin picking) disorder