Anxiety in non-psychiatric patients

Systematic approach of anxiety in non-psychiatric patients contributes significantly to the effective treatment. At first, is essential to explore the biological causes and afterwards the possibility that anxiety is a manifestation of a psychiatric disorder. Furthermore, when anxiety is diagnosed as patient's response to the disease, it is crucial to explore the psychological mechanisms that the patient mobilizes in order to defend it, the psycho-social problems of the patient, the supportive network, personality and the personal meaning that the patient gives to the disease. The most effective treatment of anxiety is the combination of medication therapy (benzodiazepines, antidepressants) with psychological therapies such as cognitive- behavioral psychotherapy that aim to change patterns of thought, behavior and belief.

Keywords: Anxiety, diagnosis and treatment of anxiety, chronic disease