title: [Anxiety disorder].
abstract: Anxiety disorder (AD) often is under diagnosed and under treated in older adults, especially when the clinical presentation of anxiety. Symptoms often overlap with medical conditions. Of all the anxiety disorders in later life, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is one of the most frequently diagnosed. AD is often comorbid with depression. AD is associated with excess disability. Anxiety in older adults has traditionally been treated pharmacology, often with benzodiazepine. However, the clinical recommendations for pharmacologic treatment actually have been much broader, including suggestions to consider serotonergic antidepressants. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin nor epinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) generally are safe and procedure fewer side effects compared with tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), in older patients. Effective treatment includes pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy, and complementary and alternative therapies. Late life AD is associated with substantial impairments in quality of life. Effective treatment for AD may be one of the most predictors of improvement of QOL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Shimane University Faculty of Medicine.
authors.forename: Maiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hayashida
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Horiguchi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans