Anxiety Across the Ages

Sep 19
07:55

2015

Andrew Peter

Andrew Peter

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If you have recurring bouts of anxiety, you may be suffering from something more serious than just a case of the jitters. Anxiety treatment centers Florida can help you find the best places to find assistance with the best anxiety clinics in Florida.

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Seniors

Medscape.com reports anxiety disorder and specific phobias account for nearly all of behavior disorders in the geriatric population. Generalized anxiety disorder accounts for more than half of the diagnoses in older adults. Other anxiety conditions present in the older demographic are OCD -- obsessive-compulsive disorders,Anxiety Across the Ages Articles post-traumatic stress disorders and panic disorders.

Adults

The National Institute of Mental Health estimates 18 percent of the adult population in the U.S. experiences anxiety or anxiety disorder over the course of a year and nearly a quarter of these cases are regarded as severe. As a group, individuals age 30 to 44 experience the highest rate of anxiety disorder in the U.S. Women are 60 percent more likely than men to experience anxiety at some point in their lives. Whites experience anxiety or anxiety disorders more frequently than blacks or Hispanics. Over one-third of individuals do receive treatment but at least one-third of these receive adequate or sub-adequate treatment.

College students

According to a 2013 study by the American College Health Association, more than half of college students experienced overwhelming anxiety during the academic year. Half of female students in the study reported feeling overwhelming anxiety at some point during the year. Nearly 40 percent of male students in the study experienced intense anxiety. Less than a quarter of the study subjects said these feelings affected their academic performance. Most failed to get treatment or seek counseling.

Children

The 2015 Census reports there are more than 75 million children in the U.S. under the age of 18. According to a Child Mind Institute Children's Mental Health report, 17 million have or had a diagnosable psychiatric disorder. Most children are not being treated for their disorders.

Anxiety disorders are the most common psychiatric disorder for individuals under the age of 18 – more than 30 percent of the demographic report experiencing anxiety. Of the individuals who reported experiencing anxiety, eight percent described their condition as severe. The average onset age for anxiety is six. According to the Mental Health report, the cost of lost productivity and crime spending related to mental illness for individuals under 24 is $204 billion. Nearly three-quarters of children in the juvenile justice system fulfill the criteria for a diagnosable psychiatric condition.