Prevalence and development of anxiety disorders Sample Clauses

Prevalence and development of anxiety disorders. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health conditions and affect significant proportions of the population (Xxxxxxxxx and Xxxxx 2010) with figures suggesting up to 13% of the population are affected at any one time (approximately 8 million people in the UK). There is accumulating evidence that anxiety disorders in children are some of the earliest of all forms of psychopathology and the most frequent (Xxxxxx, Xxxxxx et al. 2009). Six to twelve month prevalence rates of anxiety disorders in children vary between 10-20% with lifetime rates being only slightly higher (Xxxxxxxx and Xxxxxxxx 2008). Many disorders manifest before the age of 12 years (Last, Xxxxxx et al. 1996) and continue into adolescence as the same, or a related anxiety disorder (Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx et al. 2007), supporting the assertion that anxiety disorders exhibit a persisting course (Xxxxxx, Xxxxxx et al. 2009). Lifetime prevalence of all anxiety disorders except social phobia is higher in females than males and the incidence of ‘pure’ anxiety disorders decreases with age, with multiple anxiety disorder patterns by late adolescence (Xxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx et al. 2005). One explanation of this effect is that the impact of anxiety disorders, contributes to secondary anxiety and non- anxiety related disorders such as depression.