Anxiety Disorders: Theory, Research and Clinical Perspectives

Anxiety disorders are amongst the most common of all mental health problems. Research in this field has exploded over recent years, yielding a wealth of new information in domains ranging from neurobiology to cultural anthropology to evidence-based treatment of specific disorders. This book offers a variety of perspectives on new developments and important controversies relevant to the theory, research, and clinical treatment of this class of disorders. Clinicians will find reviews of state-of-the-art treatments for panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as controversies over diagnostic and treatment issues. Researchers will find in-depth consideration of important selected topics, including genetics, neuroimaging, animal models, contemporary psychoanalytic theory, and the impact of stressors. This book illustrates the enormous advances that have occurred in anxiety research and describes the evolving multi-disciplinary efforts that will shape the future of the field.

About the Author

Helen Blair Simpson is Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University and Director of the Anxiety Disorders Clinic and the OCD Research Program at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, USA.

Yuval Neria is the Director of Trauma and PTSD Program at the New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University Department of Psychiatry and an Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology at the Departments of Psychiatry and Epidemiology at Columbia University, New York, USA.

Roberto Lewis-Fernández is Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, Columbia University and Director, Hispanic Treatment Program of the Anxiety Disorders Clinic, and New York State Center of Excellence for Cultural Competence, New York State Psychiatric Institute and Lecturer on Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA.

Franklin Schneier is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and Research Scientist in the Anxiety Disorders Clinic at New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, USA.