Anxiety and Stress-related Factors

These flashcards summarize key vocabulary and concepts related to anxiety and stress-related disorders as covered in the lecture.

Anxiety

A short-term adaptive emotion in response to threat, evolving as a survival response.

Disorder Characteristics

Anxiety becomes a disorder when it is out of proportion to the threat, excessive and persistent, and impairs daily functioning.

Symptoms of Anxiety Disorders (Physiological)

Includes muscle tension, dry mouth, trembling, fatigue, sleep problems, and loss of appetite.

Cognitive Symptoms of Anxiety

Apprehension, intrusive thoughts, and chronic worry.

Behavioural Symptoms of Anxiety

Avoidance of fears and engagement in safety behaviours.

Cognitive Biases

Selective attention to negative information and interpretation bias.

Specific Phobia

An excessive, irrational, persistent fear of a specific object or situation leading to avoidance.

Exposure Therapy

A treatment for anxiety disorders involving gradual desensitization to the feared object or situation.

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)

Persistent fear of social situations and being judged, leading to avoidance.

Panic Disorder

Characterized by recurrent unexpected panic attacks and fear of future attacks.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Persistent excessive worry about multiple life areas and associated symptoms.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Anxiety disorder involving obsessions (intrusive thoughts) and compulsions (repetitive behaviours).

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Severe stress after exposure to a traumatic event, featuring symptoms from all clusters.

Core Symptom Clusters of PTSD

Include intrusion, avoidance, negative cognition and mood, and increased arousal and reactivity.

Cognitive Factors in Anxiety

Dysfunctional beliefs that maintain fear and avoidance, leading to impairment.

Aetiology of Anxiety Disorders

Can include classical conditioning, biological predispositions, and cognitive biases.

Safety Behaviours in Anxiety

Actions taken to prevent feared outcomes, which often reinforce avoidance.