Mental Health and Psychology Anxiety Disorders 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which anxiety disorder is characterized by persistent, excessive worry about multiple everyday events lasting at least 6 months?
- Panic Disorder
- Social Anxiety Disorder
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (Correct answer)
- Specific Phobia
Correct answer: Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) involves chronic, uncontrollable worry about various life domains for at least 6 months.
Question 2: What is the first-line psychological treatment for most anxiety disorders according to evidence-based guidelines?
- Psychodynamic therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) (Correct answer)
- Humanistic therapy
- EMDR
Correct answer: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is consistently rated as the gold-standard first-line psychological treatment for anxiety disorders due to robust research support.
Question 3: A patient experiences sudden, intense episodes of fear with palpitations, sweating, and a sense of impending doom lasting 10 minutes. What disorder is most likely?
- GAD
- Agoraphobia
- Panic Disorder (Correct answer)
- PTSD
Correct answer: Panic Disorder
Panic Disorder is defined by recurrent unexpected panic attacks accompanied by physical symptoms and fear of future attacks.
Question 4: Which neurotransmitter system is most implicated in the pathophysiology of anxiety disorders?
- Dopamine
- Acetylcholine
- GABA and Serotonin (Correct answer)
- Glutamate alone
Correct answer: GABA and Serotonin
Both GABAergic inhibition and serotonergic regulation are central to anxiety, explaining why benzodiazepines and SSRIs are effective treatments.
Question 5: Systematic desensitization for phobias pairs gradual exposure with which therapeutic technique?
- Free association
- Relaxation training (Correct answer)
- Cognitive restructuring
- Biofeedback
Correct answer: Relaxation training
Systematic desensitization uses progressive muscle relaxation or other calming techniques paired with a fear hierarchy to reduce phobic responses.
Question 6: Social Anxiety Disorder differs from shyness primarily because it:
- Involves only public speaking fears
- Causes significant functional impairment (Correct answer)
- Begins in adulthood
- Requires medication to diagnose
Correct answer: Causes significant functional impairment
SAD is distinguished from normal shyness by the degree to which social fears impair occupational, academic, or social functioning.
Mental Health and Psychology Anxiety Disorders 1
Which anxiety disorder is characterized by persistent, excessive worry about multiple everyday events lasting at least 6 months?