Featured CME TOPIC: Anxiety Disorders for the Primary Care Physician

What is the problem?

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults, or 18% of the population. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) affects approximately 6.8 million adults, and panic disorder (PD) affects 6 million adults. Women are twice as likely to be affected by these disorders as men. They are highly treatable, yet only about one-third of those suffering receive treatment. Anxiety disorders are much more likely to appear in a primary care setting long before they end up in a specialty mental health setting, so primary care physicians have a significant opportunity to try and treat these patients right at the primary care level. The US Preventive Services Task Force recently updated its recommendations to screen all adults up to 65 years old for anxiety disorders.

Learning Objectives

1. Describe the prevalence and co-morbidity of anxiety disorders commonly encountered in PCP clinics
2. Identify treatment strategies for GAD and Panic Disorder
3. Explain how psychotherapy and medication management work synergistically in treating GAD and Panic Disorder

CLICK HERE to download a PDF file featuring information gaps, potential needs, and references for this topic.

If your medical staff needs an update on anxiety disorders, consider contacting our office to book a speaker at 877-505-4777 or info@speakersnetwork.com.

REFERENCES

https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/facts-statistics

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28722900/

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2806250