Much Ado About Nothing: The Development and Treatment of Anxiety Problems in Young People

Abstract

The experiences of fear and anxiety are common, typically transitory, and have survival value in that they motivate "fight-flight" responses to danger. Normal anxiety and anxiety disorders vary along a continuum, with the degree of distress and interference with daily life, discriminating between what is normal and adaptive, and what is dysfunctional. For some people, anxiety can become so problematic that they can be said to have an anxiety disorder. These are one of the most common mental health problems and a large proportion of health resources are spent dealing with anxiety and its associated problems.