Download
1 / 26
260 likes | 623 Views
Anxiety Disorders III February 17, 2010 PSYC 2340: Abnormal Psychology Brett Deacon, Ph.D. From Last Class. DSM-IV anxiety disorders Causes of anxiety disorders Common psychological processes in anxiety disorders Maladaptive beliefs Selective attention Safety behaviors. In the News.
E N D
Anxiety Disorders IIIFebruary 17, 2010PSYC 2340: Abnormal PsychologyBrett Deacon, Ph.D.
From Last Class • DSM-IV anxiety disorders • Causes of anxiety disorders • Common psychological processes in anxiety disorders • Maladaptive beliefs • Selective attention • Safety behaviors
In the News • More reaction to DSM-V proposals • From Allen Frances, chair of DSM-IV: http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/home/content/article/10168/1522341?verify=0 • “DSM5 would create tens of millions of newly misidentified false positive “patients,” thus greatly exacerbating the problems caused already by an overly inclusive DSM4.7 There would be massive overtreatment with medications that are unnecessary, expensive, and often quite harmful. DSM5 appears to be promoting what we have most feared--the inclusion of many normal variants under the rubric of mental illness, with the result that the core concept of "mental disorder" is greatly undermined.”
In the News • “The Psychosis Risk Syndrome is certainly the most worrisome of all the suggestions made for DSM5. The false positive rate would be alarming―70% to 75% in the most careful studies and likely to be much higher once the diagnosis is official, in general use, and becomes a target for drug companies.8 Hundreds of thousands of teenagers and young adults (especially, it turns out, those on Medicaid) would receive the unnecessary prescription of atypical antipsychotic drugs.9 There is no proof that the atypical antipsychotics prevent psychotic episodes, but they do most certainly cause large and rapid weight gains (see the recent FDA warning) and are associated with reduced life expectancy―to say nothing about their high cost, other side effects, and stigma. • This suggestion could lead to a public health catastrophe and no field trial could possibly justify its inclusion as an official diagnosis. The attempt at early identification and treatment of at risk individuals is well meaning, but dangerously premature. We must wait until there is a specific diagnostic test and a safe treatment. • Mixed Anxiety Depressive Disorder taps nonspecific symptoms that are widely distributed in the general population and would therefore immediately become one of the most common of all the mental disorders in DSM5. Naturally, its rapid rise to epidemic proportions would be ably assisted by pharmaceutical marketing. It is likely that medication would not be much more effective than placebo because of the high placebo response rates in milder disorders.”
In the News • “LOWERED THRESHOLDSThe greatest general impact would come from the suggestion to eliminate the “clinical significance” criterion required in DSM4 for each disorder that has a fuzzy boundary with normality (about two-thirds of them). These were included to ensure the presence of clinically significant distress or impairment when the symptoms of the disorder in mild form might be compatible with normality. Removing this requirement would reduce the role of clinical judgment as a gatekeeper in determining the presence or absence of mental disorders and thus would increase the already swollen rates of psychiatric diagnosis. • Medicalizing Normal Grief. DSM5 would reverse 30 years of diagnostic practice and allow the diagnosis of Major Depression to be made for individuals whose grief reaction symptomatically resembles a Major Depressive episode (eg, 2 weeks of depressed mood, loss of interest in activities, insomnia, loss of appetite, and trouble concentrating immediately following the loss of a spouse would be a mental disorder. This is radical and astounding change that may be helpful for some individuals, but will cause a huge false positive problem―especially since there is so much individual and cultural variability in bereavement. Of course, grief would become an extremely inviting target for the drug companies.
In the News • Pedohebephilia is one of the most poorly written and unworkable of the suggested criteria sets. Expanding the definition of pedophilia to include pubescent teenagers would medicalize criminal behavior and further the previously described misuse of psychiatry by the legal system. Certainly, sex with under-age victims should be discouraged as an important matter of public policy, but this should be accomplished by legal statute and appropriate sentencing, not by mental disorder fiat.
Panic Attacks • DSM-IV panic attack symptoms: • Palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate • Sweating • Trembling or shaking • Sensations of shortness of breath or smothering • Feeling of choking • Chest pain or discomfort • Nausea or abdominal distress • Feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, or faint • Derealization or depersonalization • Fear of losing control or going crazy • Fear of dying • Numbness or tingling sensations • Chills or hot flushes
Panic Attacks • Common in all anxiety disorders • Can occur in response to an obvious trigger or for no apparent reason (“out of the blue”) • If you experienced a full-blown panic attack for no apparent reason… • What might you conclude is happening? • What would you do to feel safe?
Panic Disorder • DSM-IV diagnostic criteria: • Recurrent, unexpected panic attacks • At least 1 month of: • Persistent concern about additional attacks • Worry about implications of attacks • Change in behavior related to the attacks
Agoraphobia • Diagnosed as either Panic Disorder With or Without Agoraphobia • Agoraphobia – nature and cause
Statistics • Lifetime prevalence = 3.5% • Twice as common in women • About 1/3 also have Agoraphobia (75% of whom are women) • Typical age of onset = mid-teens through age 40
Case Example: Jenny Jenny has had mild asthma since early childhood. As an 8th grader she watched her best friend die of a severe asthma attack. Since that time she has worried that difficulty breathing will lead to a fatal asthma attack. She experiences frequent, severe panic attacks during which she fears suffocation and death. To prevent this she relies on a repertoire of coping strategies including taking Klonopin, drinking water, practicing relaxation techniques, seeking reassurance from family members, and visiting the emergency room. She also avoids exercise, spicy foods, sex, and anything else that might trigger a panic attack. She was referred to our anxiety disorders clinic after unsuccessful trials of medication and relaxation training.
Fear-Evoking Stimuli in Panic Disorder • Arousal-related body sensations • Activities/places/substances that evoke them
Beliefs in Panic Disorder SymptomFeared Outcome Palpitations Heart attack Dizziness Fainting Breathlessness Suffocation Nausea Vomiting Dissociation Insanity Observable symptoms Humiliation
Attention Toward Threat in Panic Disorder • Frequent body checking and scanning for arousal-related body sensations
Safety Behaviors in Panic Disorder: Case Example Feared OutcomeSafety Behavior Pass out Breathe deeply, relax Won’t be able to focus/perform Give up, go home Other will notice symptoms Escape, try to hide Will get sick/vomit Relax, play music, breathe Lose control, harm self or others Be around trusted others Die Be around trusted others, go to hospital
Treatment of Panic Disorder • Medications • Psychotherapy: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) • Combined treatment (CBT + drugs)
Medications for Panic Disorder • Antidepressants and benzodiazepines • By far the most common treatments • Demonstrated short-term effectiveness • Problems with side effects, drop-outs, and relapse upon discontinuation, especially for benzodiazepines
CBT for Panic Disorder • Cognitive-behavioral therapy components • Education about the anxiety/panic response • Disputing/modifying erroneous beliefs • Exposure to feared body sensations • Exposure to feared activities and places • Elimination of safety behaviors
Panic Disorder Treatment Video • Intensive CBT for panic disorder with agoraphobia • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE5F-FjbTRk • Watch for these elements: • Modifying mistaken beliefs • Interoceptive exposure • Situational (in vivo) exposure • Elimination of safety behaviors
