Understanding Anxiety Disorders: Types, Causes, and Treatments - Prof. Cynthia Rohrbeck, Study notes of Abnormal Psychology

Download Understanding Anxiety Disorders: Types, Causes, and Treatments - Prof. Cynthia Rohrbeck and more Study notes Abnormal Psychology in PDF only on Docsity! 1 Chapter Five Anxiety Disorders 2 Anxiety Disorders (Freud would have called these neuroses)  Anxiety: A feeling of uneasiness or apprehension; is a fundamental human emotion  Anxiety Disorders: Fear or anxiety symptoms that interfere with an individual’s day-to-day functioning Anxiety is anticipatory, waiting for a dreaded event to occur Fear is most intense emotion one feels when event is actually occurring 5 Understanding Disorders from Multipath Perspective  Psychological Dimension: Psychoanalytic theorists focus primarily on parent-child relationship Psychological variables such as one’s sense of control may also be involved Early experiences can play a role in determining vulnerability of children and need to be considered 6 Understanding Disorders from Multipath Perspective  Social and Sociocultural Dimensions: Daily environmental stress Gender Acculturation factors among minority groups 7 Phobias  Phobia: Strong, persistent, unwarranted fear of a specific object or situation  Comes from Greek word for fear 10 Phobias  Etiology of Phobias: Biological:  Genetics or biological preparedness Psychological:  Psychodynamic  Behavioral  Classical conditioning  Observational learning  Negative information perspective  Cognitive-behavioral 11 Phobias  Treatment of Phobias: Biochemical:  Neurobiological abnormalities can be normalized with medication  Antidepressants, benzodiazepines, SSRIs 12 Phobias  Treatment of Phobias: Behavioral:  Exposure therapy:  Gradually introduce increasingly difficult encounters with feared situation  Systematic desensitization:  Uses muscle relaxation  Cognitive restructuring:  Unrealistic thoughts are altered  Modeling:  Patient observes a model coping with, or responding appropriately to, the feared situation 15 Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia  Etiology of Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia: Biological  Modest heritability rate of 35%  Amygdala involved Psychological  Psychodynamic: stresses internal conflicts  Cognitive behavioral: stresses individual’s interpretation of unpleasant bodily sensations as indicators of impending disaster 16 Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia  Etiology of Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia: Social and Sociocultural  Major life changes  Women have higher prevalence rate than men  Culture is a factor 17 Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia  Treatment of Panic Disorder: Both medication and cognitive therapies have been effective  Biochemical – antidepressants, SSRIs  Behavior – 80% reported to achieve panic-free status 20 Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)  Etiology of GAD: Biological  Small but significant heritability factor  May disrupt prefrontal cortex modulation of amygdala Psychological  Psychodynamic: unacceptable impulses lie close to consciousness  Cognitive-behavioral: dysfunctional thinking and beliefs 21 Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)  Etiology of GAD: Social and Sociocultural  Poverty  Prejudice  Discrimination  Traumatic events 22 Treating Panic Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder  Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Biochemical treatment:  Benzodiazepines for GAD, but problems of tolerance and dependence  New antianxiety medication, buspirone  Antidepressants and SSRIs are medications of choice  Less risk of dependence 25 Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder  Four Identified Types: Harm-related, sexual, aggressive, and/or religious obsession w/ checking compulsions Symmetry obsessions w/ arranging and repeating compulsions Contamination obsessions w/ cleaning compulsions Hoarding and saving compulsions 26 Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder  Etiology of OCD: Biological:  Increased metabolic activity in frontal lobe  Suggests dysregulation on the orbital frontal cortex  Some view as being comprised of different subgroups rather than a single disorder Psychological :  Psychodynamic perspective: Attempts to fend off anal sadistic, anal libidinous, and genital impulses  Behavioral and cognitive perspectives: Anxiety reduction 27 Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder  Etiology of OCD: Social and Sociocultural  More common among young who are divorced, separated, or unemployed  European Americans more likely to receive diagnosis than African or Hispanic Americans  Cultural sensitivity essential More on Treatment – ESTs (empirically supported treatments)  Why is EBP (a similar term – evidence based practice) Important in Clinical Psychology?  Psychologists are ethically bound to "do no harm." When empirical evidence exists demonstrating the efficacy of a specific assessment or treatment approach for a particular clinical presentation, it is ethnically irresponsible not to discuss this approach and/or provide this option to a client. Such a discussion may include a review of the applicability to this client, strengths, and limitations, of a specific assessment or treatment approach. (ABCT website) Evidence based?  What is "strong" and "modest" research support?  Research support for a given treatment is labeled "strong" if criteria are met for what Chambless et al. (1998) termed "well-established" treatments. To meet this standard, well-designed studies conducted by independent investigators must converge to support a treatment's efficacy. Research support is labeled "modest" if criteria are met for what Chambless et al. (1998) termed "probably efficacious treatments." To meet this standard, one well-designed study or two or more adequately designed studies must support a treatment's efficacy. In addition, it is possible for the "strong and "modest" thresholds to be met through a series of carefully controlled single- case studies. For a full description of the Chambless criteria readers are referred to Chambless et al. (1998). In addition, this site labels research support "controversial" if studies of a given treatment yield conflicting results or if a treatment is efficacious but claims about why the treatment works are at odds with the research evidence. Definitions  What is "strong" and "modest" research support?  Research support for a given treatment is labeled "strong" if criteria are met for what Chambless et al. (1998) termed "well-established" treatments. To meet this standard, well-designed studies conducted by independent investigators must converge to support a treatment's efficacy. Research support is labeled "modest" if criteria are met for what Chambless et al. (1998) termed "probably efficacious treatments." To meet this standard, one well-designed study or two or more adequately designed studies must support a treatment's efficacy. In addition, it is possible for the "strong and "modest" thresholds to be met through a series of carefully controlled single- case studies. For a full description of the Chambless criteria readers are referred to Chambless et al. (1998). In addition, this site labels research support "controversial" if studies of a given treatment yield conflicting results or if a treatment is efficacious but claims about why the treatment works are at odds with the research evidence.