Health anxiety is referred to as the concern about ones health in the absence of a pathology, or excessive concern when there is a degree of pathology (Lucock & Morley, 1996). The Health Anxiety Questionnaire
The Health Anxiety Questionnaire (Lucock & Morley, 1996) was used to identify the participant’s level of concern regarding their health. In order to promote research in the health anxiety area, a reliable and valid measure of health anxiety based on sound theoretical background was needed. The construct was also developed to demonstrate its distinctiveness from measures of general anxiety (Lucock & Morley, 1996).
The scale is comprised of 21 items, and includes four factors of health anxiety, namely: health worry and preoccupation, fear of illness and death, reassurance-seeking behaviour, and interference with life. Participants were presented with the list of questions about health anxiety, for example “Do you ever worry about health?”, asked to read them carefully, and indicate how often they had been bothered by each statement during the past week including the day they responded to the survey. A four-point Likert scale was used, where 0 = “not at all or rarely”, and 3 = “most of the time”. Scores were calculated by adding the numbers within each factor.
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Cluster analysis: Inter-item correlations from cluster shows that intercorrelations between four clusters of items (interference with life, fear of illness and death, health worry and preoccupation, and reassurance seeking behaviour) were all significant ( r ranging from .295 to .685).
Factor analysis: Principal component analysis revealed eigenvalues greater than one for all four factors. All
(1995). The structure of negative emotional states: Comparison of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) with the Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 33(3), 335-343.
The following tests were administered to the patient: Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ)—a 16-item self-report measure of the affinity, strength, and uncontrollability of excessive and uncontrollable worry; Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS)—a 27-item self-report mechanism measuring the general idea that uncertainty in life is frustrating, unacceptable, or bad; Why Worry-II (WW-II)—a 25item- questionnaire of positive attitudes about worry; and the Ahwaz Worry Inventory (AWI)—an assessment of economic worry, self-esteem, worry about the future, worry about relations, cognitive worry, worries of insecurity, and worry about
“Anxiety is the signal of danger which mobilizes the human organism’s resources at all levels of functioning in the interests of conservation, defense, and self- preservation.” (Anxiety 1) If a person suffers from anxiety there is a major loss of control and then an attempt to regain that control because of a fear that they have. Anxiety disorders are one of the most frequently occurring mental disorders in the United States. However, anxiety disorders are not only found in the United States. They are found throughout the world. They just happen to be most predominating in the United States. In this paper, I will be discussing the generalized anxiety disorder and how if effects society today.
Alternatively Hadley (1995) puts forward the view that contrary to popular belief, anxiety actually arises out of thoughts of potential danger and not the actual danger that produces the symptoms of anxiety. In support of this view the document by Chrysalis states that “feelings of anxiety come from apprehension or fear, the source of which is not always recognisable”. Feeling anxious at certain times in our life is a normal instinctual response that serves as a protection to aid survival. It teaches us to avoid dangerous situations and in this way is a learning process however the subconscious can sometimes work overtime resulting in response to all situations that feel remotely similar to the one that has made us feel anxious in the first instance (Chrysalis 2010 1-5 pp7). This document describes how anxiety will affect our whole being, our emotions, our behaviour and our physical health. Anxiety becomes a problem when its level rises above normal and interfere with a person’s life, associated physical symptoms include, trembling, tense muscles, churning stomach, nausea, diarrhoea, headache, heart palpitations, pins and needles, sweating or flushing (Chrysalis 2010 1-5 pp7). These feelings coupled with the physical symptoms experienced make a person want
| A. Excessive anxiety and worry (apprehensive expectation) about two (or more) domains of activities or events (for example, domains like family, health, finances, and school/work difficulties)B. The excessive anxiety and worry occur on more days than not for three months or more (APA, 2000) Examination of Classifications and SymptomsC. The anxiety and worry are associated with one or more of the following symptoms: 1. Restlessness or feeling keyed up or on edge2. Being easily fatigued3. Difficulty concentrating or
c. Procedures used & Description of “what they did”. - Each participant was given a set of four different self-report questionnaires. 1. The English Worry and Anxiety Questionnaire asked participants to provide a list of their six daily worry subjects. 2. The Penn State Worry Questionnaire to determine how often they worry about said subject and the level of worry it causes them. 3. The English Why Worry II, a questionnaire that pertained only to positive beliefs. 4. The Metacognitions Questionnaire; a tool that measures beliefs, memory and through awareness.
Anxiety, also known as generalized anxiety disorder, is categorized by Mayo Clinic as “ongoing anxiety and worry that are difficult to control and interfere with day-to-day activities”(“Generalized”). According to Mayo Clinics article Generalized Anxiety Disorder that not only adults but also children and adolescent who have this disorder that “Your anxiety, worry or physical symptoms cause you significant distress in social, work or other areas of your life.” Everyone experiences anxiety at one point in their life it; however, becomes a disorder once it starts to interfere with the everyday life of that person. The symptoms of anxiety in adults are persistent worrying over normally insignificant details in life, overthinking, having difficulty
Anxiety is the most common mental health disorder in the United States and women are over twice as likely to suffer from anxiety than men (Kessler et al., 2005). The symptoms of anxiety can be life disrupting; affecting personal and professional relationships, sleep, appetite, health, and overall quality of life. The causes of anxiety seem ever-present and there is no indication the situation is going to improve in the immediate future. Global politics, war, domestic terrorism, rising health care costs, and economic instability are but a few of the surfeit anxiety causing stressors individuals must endure while also managing daily pressures of everyday life.
The research question for this paper is: what are possible origins of or influences contributing to anxiety? Anxiety is a disorder where the individual experiences fear greater than what the situation warrants, and is currently the third largest psychiatric disorder in the United States (Schneier, 2003). However, the origins of anxiety is not entirely clear yet, and different schools of thought have formed different theories and explanations for this disorder. Knowing and understanding the possible origins of anxiety can assist in the development of treatments.
As a hypochondriac anxiety allows the worry, the unease feelings to absorb your every thought. It does not allow you to stop thinking about your health. When you think of a disease ruining your health, it becomes a obsession. Anxiety latches on to things you can't control.
Evaluation for an anxiety disorder often begins with a visit to a primary care provider. Some physical health conditions, such as an overactive thyroid or low blood sugar, as well as taking certain medications, can imitate or worsen an anxiety disorder. A thorough mental health evaluation is also helpful, because anxiety disorders often co-exist with other related conditions, such as depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder. Given the prevalence of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and associated impairments as well as the significant burden imposed on health care resources, accurate assessment of anxiety is needed. Evaluating GAD and its severity by mental health and primary care clinicians is an increasingly important goal. Reliable
One of the most common mental illnesses in the United States is anxiety disorders. It affects 18% of the population (ADAA). "Anxiety is an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes like increased blood pressure"(Encyclopedia of Psychology). There are numerous kinds of anxiety, ranging from generalized anxiety disorder to obsessive-compulsive disorder. The utmost common forms of anxiety consist of generalized, social, and panic,(ADAA). As for myself, I suffer from all three major forms.
To the general public, anxiety tends to be known simply as the feeling of being overly nervous. However, in the sense of this paper, anxiety is an umbrella term for a group of psychological disorders that, while similar in many ways, can vary greatly in their symptomology. For the sake of simplicity, this paper will focus mainly on Generalized Anxiety Disorder; however, the National Institute of Mental Health (2016) states that the three most common forms of anxiety disorders are Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, and Panic Disorder (National Institute of Mental Health, 2016). In fact, these disorders are much more common than many think: according to the NIMH, the lifetime prevalence of any anxiety disorder in U.S. adults
The items of the BAI were drawn from three earlier self-report instruments that measured various aspects of anxiety. The BAI was developed with adult psychiatric outpatients and the manual recommends using caution with other clinical populations.
INTRODUCTION: Even though stress negatively affects physical and mental abilities. Stress is the cause of tensions, overwork and increasing demands. Generally, the Anxiety is a part of our life. We live with it, manage it, or more all stress over it. Our lifestyle, the region in which we live, the economy, and our occupations can result in a lot of anxiety. Not everybody manages the same level of anxiety and there are a few elements that can affect our lives and reason us to have higher or lower anxiety levels. (Feldman, 2009)