Anxiety (4C)
Anxiety is protective when it is a response to something that is a threat. It becomes problematic when it is excessive, uncontrollable, causes physical symptoms, and results in changes in behavior and cognition over time.
Students may experience severe anxiety with accompanying disturbances of sleep, concentration, and social or occupational functioning. They may also experience panic attacks which are short periods of intense fear and a sense of impending doom with symptoms of chest pain, dizziness and shortness of breath. Students who perceive themselves in a stressful situation (real or imagined) may feel anxious, exhibiting physical effects such as shortness of breath, nausea, or chest pain. Emotional effects such as feelings of dread, panic, irritability, or restlessness can also occur.
Students may experience severe anxiety with accompanying disturbances of sleep, concentration, and social or occupational functioning. They may also experience panic attacks which are short periods of intense fear and a sense of impending doom with symptoms of chest pain, dizziness and shortness of breath. Students who perceive themselves in a stressful situation (real or imagined) may feel anxious, exhibiting physical effects such as shortness of breath, nausea, or chest pain. Emotional effects such as feelings of dread, panic, irritability, or restlessness can also occur.
Formal Diagnostics
Documentation from a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist would be appropriate.
DSM-IV
- 300.01 Panic Disorder without Agoraphobia
- 300.21 Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia
- 300.02 Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- 293.84 Anxiety Disorder Due to (indicate the General Medical Condition)
- 300.00 Anxiety Disorder Not Otherwise Specified
Intake Questions
- Do you often feel restless or on edge?
- Do you have difficulty concentrating or experience your mind going blank during exams or when asked a question?
- Do you often have difficulty sleeping?
- Do you have intrusive anxious thoughts?
- What accommodations or strategies have been effective in the past?
Resources
- Davey, G. C. L. & Wells, A. (Eds.). (2006). Worry and its psychological disorders: theory, assessment, and treatment. Chichester, England: Wiley.
- Anthony, M. M. & Stein, M. B. (Eds.). (2009). Oxford handbook of anxiety and related disorders. New York, NY: University Press.
- American Psychiatric Association (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
- National Institute of Mental Health: Anxiety Disorders
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders/index.shtml - Anxiety Disorders Association of America
http://www.adaa.org/
The Building Accepting Campus Communities (BACC) project was funded by the US Department of Education Office of Secondary Education grant #P333A080070-09. The University of Nebraska does not discriminate based on gender, age, disability, race, color, religion, marital status, veteran's status, national or ethnic origin, or sexual orientation.