Smith S L, Sherrill K A, Colenda C C
Department of Family Practice, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis 55414.
Psychiatr Serv. 1995 Jan;46(1):36-42. doi: 10.1176/ps.46.1.36.
Although anxiety disorders appear to occur less frequently in elderly persons, subsyndromal anxiety and anxiety associated with other medical and psychiatric disorders are significant sources of morbidity. Theories of etiology of anxiety range from the psychodynamic to the neurobiologic. Treatment of anxiety syndromes hinges on a thorough diagnostic evaluation, with attention to the tendency of older adults to prefer somatic descriptors and to view psychiatric illness as stigmatizing. The efficacy of nonpharmacologic treatment strategies such as relaxation training and psychotherapy for elderly anxious patients has not been well researched, but these interventions have been reasonably successful with younger adult populations and avoid the potential for harmful side effects of medication. Pharmacologic treatment strategies can be effective when used with appropriate caution.
尽管焦虑症在老年人中似乎较少见，但亚综合征性焦虑以及与其他医学和精神疾病相关的焦虑是发病的重要原因。焦虑症的病因理论从心理动力学到神经生物学都有。焦虑综合征的治疗取决于全面的诊断评估，要注意老年人倾向于使用躯体描述词以及将精神疾病视为耻辱的情况。诸如放松训练和心理治疗等非药物治疗策略对老年焦虑患者的疗效尚未得到充分研究，但这些干预措施在年轻成年人群中已取得了一定成功，并且避免了药物潜在的有害副作用。谨慎使用时，药物治疗策略可能有效。
