Anxiety classification

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1];Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Vindhya BellamKonda, M.B.B.S [2]

Overview

Classification

According to DSM-5 diagnostic criteria, anxiety is classified as follows:^[1]^[2]


Classification	Features

Generalized anxiety disorders	Excessive wory about multiple life events for a period of atleast six months. The worry is disproportionate compared to the actual stressor.
Separation anxiety disorder	More common in children. Recurrent excessive worry when anticipating or experiencing separation from home or major attachment figures.
Panic disorder.	Recurrent unexpected panic attacks. Excessive worry about additional panic attack.
Social anxiety disorder.	Excessive anxiety about social situations where the individual is worried about scrutiny by others.
Agoraphobia	Fear of places or (specific) circumstances, where an individual perceives as difficult to escape.
Substance/medication induced anxiety disorder	Symptoms of worry beginning during or after substance intoxication or after taking a medication.
Selective mutism	Failure to speak in certain situations in which there is an expectation for speaking(e.g., school) but is able to speak at home.
Specific phobia	Persistent fear of a certain object or situation (e.g., fear of heights, fear of animals).
Anxiety due to another medical condition	Fear is due to direct result of a medical condition.
Unspecified anxiety disorder	This classification applies to conditions in which anxiety is predominant but do not meet full criteria for any of the disorders in the DSM-5 classification of anxiety disorders.

References

↑ Kampman O, Viikki M, Leinonen E (2017). “Anxiety Disorders and Temperament-an Update Review”. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 19 (5): 27. doi:10.1007/s11920-017-0779-5. PMID 28417269.
↑ Craske MG, Stein MB (2016). “Anxiety”. Lancet. 388 (10063): 3048–3059. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(16)30381-6. PMID 27349358.

Overview