Treatment Of Late-life Anxiety Research Articles

Anxiety in Later Life and Across the Lifespan

Abstract: Research on anxiety in later life has advanced significantly in the last two decades. Within the extant literature, there are both gaps and opportunities for further cross-disciplinary linkages in terms of the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of late-life anxiety. Research across cultures and cohorts has increased our understanding of the experience of anxiety across groups and thus has advanced measurement efficacy and diagnostic accuracy. Work on addressing social determinants across the lifespan regarding anxiety symptoms and their sequelae may help address anxiety as a globally growing concern.

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in the Treatment of Late-Life Anxiety and Depression-a Pilot Study.

-

Using virtual reality to improve the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in the treatment of late-life anxiety: preliminary recommendations for future research.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) using traditional exposure techniques (i.e. imaginal and in vivo) seems less effective to treat anxiety in older adults than in younger ones. This is particularly true when imaginal exposure is used to confront the older patient to inaccessible (e.g. fear of flying) or less tangible/controllable anxiety triggers (e.g. fear of illness). Indeed, imaginal exposure may become less effective as the person gets older since normal aging is characterized by the decline in cognitive functions involved in the creation of vivid/detailed mental images. One way to circumvent this difficulty is to expose the older patient to a virtual environment that does not require the ability to imagine the frightening situation. In virtuo exposure has proven to be efficient to treat anxiety in working-age people. In virtuo exposure could be employed to improve the efficacy of CBT with exposure sessions in the treatment of late-life anxiety? The current paper explores this question and suggests new research avenues.

Panic Disorder in the Elderly

Despite being the most common group of mental disorders in later life, anxiety disorders in the elderly have historically been a neglected area of research. While clinically important, there have been few studies of anxiety disorders specifically in older persons. However, in recent years, there has been increasing interest and a growing base of studies addressing the epidemiology, comorbidity and treatment of late-life anxiety. The literature on panic disorder in the elderly is illustrative of this trend. Although clinicians who treat panic disorder in the elderly have been left to extrapolate from data derived from younger individuals with panic disorder, the last decade has witnessed the first trials of psychotherapeutic and pharmacological treatments performed exclusively in older patients. Although much work remains to be done in terms of testing both psychosocial and medication treatment strategies in rigorously designed studies, preliminary evidence suggests that both psychotherapeutic and pharmacological treatment can be effective for panic disorder in the elderly.