Bryant Christina, Jackson Henry, Ames David
School of Behavioural Science, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
J Affect Disord. 2008 Aug;109(3):233-50. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2007.11.008. Epub 2007 Dec 26.
Despite the relative neglect of anxiety in older adults, the growing literature on its prevalence suggests that anxiety is highly prevalent and associated with considerable distress and morbidity in this age group. This review provides a comprehensive overview of this literature and discusses some unresolved controversies in the field.
A systematic search of articles published from 1980-2007 was performed. Articles were included for review if they reported the prevalence of anxiety symptoms, anxiety disorder or specified anxiety disorders in adults aged >60 in either community or clinical settings.
The prevalence of anxiety in community samples ranges from 1.2% to 15%, and in clinical settings from 1% to 28%. The prevalence of anxiety symptoms is much higher, ranging from 15% to 52.3% in community samples, and 15% to 56% in clinical samples. These discrepancies are partly attributable to the conceptual and methodological inconsistencies that characterise this literature. Generalised Anxiety Disorder is the commonest anxiety disorder in older adults.
The methodologies used in the studies are so variable as to make comparisons difficult.
Although anxiety disorder, particularly Generalised Anxiety Disorder is common, issues in relation to comorbidity and the nature of anxiety in old age remain unresolved. This hampers the design of intervention programmes, and highlights the need for further research with a primary focus on anxiety.
尽管老年人焦虑问题相对受到忽视，但关于其患病率的文献不断增多，表明焦虑在该年龄组中极为普遍，并与相当大的痛苦和发病率相关。本综述全面概述了该文献，并讨论了该领域一些未解决的争议。
对1980年至2007年发表的文章进行了系统检索。如果文章报告了社区或临床环境中60岁以上成年人焦虑症状、焦虑症或特定焦虑症的患病率，则纳入综述。
社区样本中焦虑症的患病率在1.2%至15%之间，临床环境中为1%至28%。焦虑症状的患病率要高得多，社区样本中为15%至52.3%，临床样本中为15%至56%。这些差异部分归因于该文献中存在的概念和方法上的不一致。广泛性焦虑症是老年人中最常见的焦虑症。
研究中使用的方法差异很大，难以进行比较。
尽管焦虑症，尤其是广泛性焦虑症很常见，但与合并症和老年焦虑症性质相关的问题仍未得到解决。这阻碍了干预方案的设计，并突出了以焦虑为主要重点进行进一步研究的必要性。
