title: Improving recognition of late life anxiety disorders in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition: observations and recommendations of the Advisory Committee to the Lifespan Disorders Work Group.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recognition of the significance of anxiety disorders in older adults is growing. The revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) provides a timely opportunity to consider potential improvements to diagnostic criteria for psychiatric disorders for use with older people. The authors of this paper comprise the Advisory Committee to the DSM5 Lifespan Disorders Work Group, the purpose of which was to generate informative responses from individuals with clinical and research expertise in the field of late-life anxiety disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  This paper reviews the unique features of anxiety in later life and synthesizes the work of the Advisory Committee.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Suggestions are offered for refining our understanding of the effects of aging on anxiety and other disorders (e.g., mood disorders) and changes to the DSM5 criteria and text that could facilitate more accurate recognition and diagnosis of anxiety disorders in older adults. Several of the recommendations are not limited to the study of anxiety but rather are applicable across the broader field of geriatric mental health.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DSM5 should provide guidelines for the thorough assessment of avoidance, excessiveness, and comorbid conditions (e.g., depression, medical illness, cognitive impairment) in anxious older adults.
authors.affiliation: Rutgers, tState University of New Jersey, USA. jmohlman@rci.rutgers.edu
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mohlman
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bryant
authors.forename: Eric J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Lenze
authors.forename: Melinda A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Stanley
authors.forename: Amber
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gum
authors.forename: Alastair
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Flint
authors.forename: Aartjan T F
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Beekman
authors.forename: Julie Loebach
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Wetherell
authors.forename: Steven R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Thorp
authors.forename: Michelle G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Craske
mesh_terms: D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D012720:Severity of Illness Index