The ocurrence and severity of anxiety disorders have been correlated with fluctuations in female sex steroid levels in both epidemiological and experimental studies. 1-5 Female reproductive hormones play a role not only in the development and course of anxiety disorders but also in treatment response. More>>

Anxiety disorders are some of the most common mental health problems that confront clinicians, either as a primary diagnosis or as comorbid conditions. More>>

In part 1 of this column ( Psychiatric Times, November 2007, page 13), I reviewed research findings of the most substantiated nonpharmacological and integrative treatments for anxiety, such as kava-kava, L-theanine, applied relaxation, yoga, meditation and mindfulness training, virtual reality graded exposure therapy, and biofeedback training. In this part, I discuss less substantiated but promising nonconventional approaches, including dietary changes, supplementation with l-tryptophan... More>>

A recent longitudinal study examined the potential relationship between social anxiety disorder during adolescence and young adulthood and the subsequent development of depression. 1 More>>

Patients with chronic pain and head injury frequently have comorbid anxiety and depressive disorders, with depressive disorders appearing to be more predominant. A number of studies show that depressive spectrum illness develops in 40% to 80% of patients with chronic pain; in a majority of these cases, the mood disorder is caused by chronic pain. More>>

Comorbidity of psychiatric syndromes is quite common—in a 12-month period, almost 50% of adults in the United States with any psychiatric disorder had 2 or more disorders. More>>

Almost one third of US mental health care costs (approximately $50 billion) go toward the treatment of anxiety disorders. Conventional pharmacological treatments for anxiety are often beneficial but have limited efficacy. A meta-analysis of high-quality studies concluded that the efficacy of conventional drug treatments for anxiety disorders varies widely depending on the core symptom being treated. More>>

MONTREAL -- Vivid dreams of babies in peril are common to pregnant women and newly delivered mothers, often inspiring wakefulness and a postpartum need to check on the infant. More>>

The comorbidity of anxiety disorders with bipolar disorder is a rule, not an exception, with a negative impact on both course and treatment outcome. So far, there are no guidelines or consensus for the treatment of this comorbidity. More>>

In this article, we examine the relationship between anxiety disorders and SDs, using DSM-IV-TR categories, although we are conscious of the limits of this approach. In doing so, we will consider not only the dichotomy between normal and pathological functioning but also the issue of sexual satisfaction as part of wellness. More>>