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Open AccessJournal ArticleDOI

Anxiety disorders in older adults: a comprehensive review†

TLDR
Prevalence and symptom expression of anxiety disorders in late life, as well as risk factors, comorbidity, cognitive decline, age of onset, and treatment efficacy for older adults are reviewed.
Abstract
This review aims to address issues unique to older adults with anxiety disorders in order to inform potential changes in the DSM-V. Prevalence and symptom expression of anxiety disorders in late life, as well as risk factors, comorbidity, cognitive decline, age of onset, and treatment efficacy for older adults are reviewed. Overall, the current literature suggests: (a) anxiety disorders are common among older age individuals, but less common than in younger adults; (b) overlap exists between anxiety symptoms of younger and older adults, although there are some differences as well as limitations to the assessment of symptoms among older adults; (c) anxiety disorders are highly comorbid with depression in older adults; (d) anxiety disorders are highly comorbid with a number of medical illnesses; (e) associations between cognitive decline and anxiety have been observed; (f) late age of onset is infrequent; and (g) both pharmacotherapy and CBT have demonstrated efficacy for older adults with anxiety. The implications of these findings are discussed and recommendations for the DSM-Vare provided, including extending the text section on age-specific features of anxiety disorders in late life and providing information about the complexities of diagnosing anxiety disorders in older adults. Depression and Anxiety 27:190–211, 2010. r 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

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Canadian clinical practice guidelines for the management of anxiety, posttraumatic stress and obsessive-compulsive disorders

TL;DR: These guidelines were developed by Canadian experts in anxiety and related disorders through a consensus process based on global impression of efficacy, effectiveness, and side effects, using a modified version of the periodic health examination guidelines.
Journal Article

Depression and anxiety.

TL;DR: The review of literature presents the conclusions of several meta-analyses that have reviewed psychosocial interventions for late-life depression and anxiety, and intervention studies concerning the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, reminiscence therapy, and alternative therapies with depressed and/or anxious older adults are reviewed.
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Benzodiazepine Use in the United States

TL;DR: More vigorous clinical interventions supporting judicious benzodiazepine use may be needed to decrease rates of long-term benzodiazine use in older adults.
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Social Network Type and Subjective Well-being in a National Sample of Older Americans

TL;DR: Social network type was found to be associated with each of the well-being indicators after adjusting for demographic and health confounders and can serve as a basis for risk assessment as well as a means for determining the efficacy of interventions.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI

Prevalence and correlates of agoraphobia in older adults.

TL;DR: Lower prevalence rates of agoraphobia in the elderly were found compared with previous studies, and the low correlation between agorphobia and panic disorder raises further questions about the nature and etiology of agonaphobiaIn the elderly.
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Cognitive-behavioral therapy for management of anxiety and medication taper in older adults.

TL;DR: CBT-MM completers experienced significantly greater alleviation of psychological symptoms than did MM completers, and intention-to-treat analyses using the mixed-effects model showed similar, but weaker, treatment effects than completer analyses.
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Specific phobia in older adults: evidence from the national epidemiologic survey on alcohol and related conditions.

TL;DR: The prevalence rates of specific phobia in the elderly are at the lower end of the ranges identified in the previous studies, and this study supports the notion that specificphobia has a strong impact on the quality of life in old age.
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Nonulcer Dyspepsia Associated With Psychiatric Disorder

TL;DR: It is suggested that anxiety and depressive states are strongly associated with dyspepsia and other GI symptoms not caused by ulcer disease.
Journal ArticleDOI

Anxiety disorders in non-demented and demented elderly patients: prevalence and correlates.

TL;DR: Two patients with frontotemporal dementia and the Kluver-Bucy syndrome with a tendency to engage in oral exploration of objects and hyperbulimia, or an excessive, insatiable appetite, illustrate that hyperoral behaviour can be lethal.
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