Anxiety Disorders

About 20% of people will be affected by an anxiety disorder in their lifetime. Anxiety disorders tend to be associated with major impairments and, in some cases, even profound suffering. Fortunately, they are highly treatable and the success rates of available anxiety therapies are the highest of all psychological treatment schemes. Yet, on average half of all sufferers are never offered adequate treatment. To change this, it is crucial that both the public and health professionals are adequately informed and mental-health professionals comprehensively trained in effective anxiety treatments. Additionally, empirical research remains indispensable to help devise strategies that prevent the development of anxiety disorders, while reliable early screening approaches are needed to avoid chronicity. Still, 20-30% of patients that have received appropriate treatment will not benefit sufficiently. It is this treatment-resistant group in particular and thus the improvement of existing interventions that warrant further study.