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Chapter 13 - Anxiety Disorders

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 June 2019

By
Alexandra S. Creighton ,
Tanya E. Davison  and
David W. Kissane
Edited by
Rob Butler  and
Cornelius Katona
Rob Butler
Affiliation:
Waitemata DHB and North Shore Hospital, Auckland
Cornelius Katona
Affiliation:
Helen Bamber Foundation
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Summary

Until recently, very little was known about anxiety in later life, particularly when compared to the breadth of knowledge and research on depression within this age group. However, research into this area is now beginning to grow, with the presence of anxiety in older adults (i.e., aged ≥65 years) found to be associated with an increased risk of mortality [1], disability [2] and lower life satisfaction [3]. Thus, a good understanding of the prevalence, phenomenology, assessment and treatment of anxiety within this population is essential for all clinicians working in the geriatric field, particularly given the manner in which the population is now rapidly ageing.

Type
Chapter
Information
Seminars in Old Age Psychiatry , pp. 143 - 152
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2019

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References

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