title: Anxiety disorders. How to recognize and treat the medical symptoms of emotional illness.
abstract: Anxiety symptoms in older patients frequently coexist with depression, medical illness, and dementia, which complicate diagnosis and treatment. Most anxiety disorders do not begin in later life but are a recurrence or worsening of a pre-existing condition. Anxiety should be considered in any older patient with depressive symptoms or somatic complaints that are not explained by physical examination. Older patients may benefit from cognitive-behavioral therapy and relaxation training. Antidepresants, particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, are the preferred medical treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, USA.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Stein
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011600:Psychopharmacology; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents