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Late-Life Anxiety Disorders
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Late-Life Anxiety Disorders

Abstract

Anxiety disorders are among the most common psychiatric disorders impacting the geriatric population. While anxiety is a normal human emotion, pathological anxiety as reflected in a syndromal anxiety disorder is associated with functional impairment and suffering. In the geriatric population, generalized anxiety disorder is the most common anxiety disorder, while panic disorder and social anxiety disorder are less common. Fear of falling is a specific phobia that is known to primarily affect older adults. Diagnosis is often complicated by the increased presence of comorbid systemic medical illnesses, bereavement, increased prevalence of somatic complaints, and difficulty discerning adaptive from pathological anxiety in the context of aging. A thorough clinical examination, including a physical examination, and laboratory studies are required to help elucidate the differential diagnosis. Cognitive testing should be conducted in order to establish a baseline, to allow for future monitoring, and to guide treatment. Treatment should include providing psychoeducation, psychotherapeutic approaches (e.g., cognitive-behavioral, behavioral, interpersonal, and mindfulness-based psychotherapies), and pharmacotherapy. Comorbid systemic medical illnesses can pose additional challenges to management, often requiring simultaneous treatment of systemic medical and psychiatric symptoms.

Authors

Slavin-Stewart C; Hategan A; Sarin S; Samaan Z

Book title

Geriatric Psychiatry

Pagination

pp. 297-312

Publisher

Springer Nature

Publication Date

January 1, 2024

DOI

10.1007/978-3-031-47802-4_12
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