Anxiety Disorders in Older Adults

Abstract

Late life anxiety disorders are the most prevalent psychiatric conditions among older adults and they often present at a sub-threshold level. Specific phobias (SP) are particularly frequent and fear of falling is increasingly being recognized as a class of phobias typically seen in older adults. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), although recognized as a chronic disorder with early onset, has been found to have an onset late in life as well. Social phobia (SoP) has been found to not necessarily have a chronic course in this population. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) manifests in older adults often as an exacerbation of symptoms from a trauma earlier in life. Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) augmented with learning and memory aids, and a combination of CBT and medication, has had good outcomes in the management of anxiety disorders in older adults.