Anxiety Disorders and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health conditions worldwide. They include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and phobias. Trauma- and stressor-related disorders, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD, are now classified separately but share many clinical features with anxiety, so they are discussed together here. This chapter also surveys etiology, neurological changes, and comorbidities for anxiety disorders and PTSD. Evidence is also discussed for specific mind- and body-focused clinical approaches that have robust support for improving health outcomes in people with anxiety disorders or trauma/stressor-related disorders. Aerobic exercise and complementary/alternative medicine are discussed in the most detail.