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Improving recognition of late life anxiety disorders in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , Fifth Edition: observations and recommendations of the Advisory Committee to the Lifespan Disorders Work Group
Author(s) -
Mohlman Jan,
Bryant Christina,
Lenze Eric J.,
Stanley Melinda A.,
Gum Amber,
Flint Alastair,
Beekman Aartjan T. F.,
Wetherell Julie Loebach,
Thorp Steven R.,
Craske Michelle G.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
international journal of geriatric psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.28
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1099-1166
pISSN - 0885-6230
DOI - 10.1002/gps.2752
Subject(s) - anxiety , mood disorders , psychiatry , psychology , depression (economics) , mental health , mood , generalized anxiety disorder , advisory committee , classification of mental disorders , cognition , prevalence of mental disorders , clinical psychology , gerontology , medicine , public administration , political science , economics , macroeconomics
Background Recognition of the significance of anxiety disorders in older adults is growing. The revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) provides a timely opportunity to consider potential improvements to diagnostic criteria for psychiatric disorders for use with older people. The authors of this paper comprise the Advisory Committee to the DSM5 Lifespan Disorders Work Group , the purpose of which was to generate informative responses from individuals with clinical and research expertise in the field of late‐life anxiety disorders. Methods This paper reviews the unique features of anxiety in later life and synthesizes the work of the Advisory Committee. Results Suggestions are offered for refining our understanding of the effects of aging on anxiety and other disorders (e.g., mood disorders) and changes to the DSM5 criteria and text that could facilitate more accurate recognition and diagnosis of anxiety disorders in older adults. Several of the recommendations are not limited to the study of anxiety but rather are applicable across the broader field of geriatric mental health. Conclusions DSM5 should provide guidelines for the thorough assessment of avoidance, excessiveness, and comorbid conditions (e.g., depression, medical illness, cognitive impairment) in anxious older adults. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.