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Anxiety Disorders in Emerging Adulthood

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Clinical Handbook of Anxiety Disorders

Part of the book series: Current Clinical Psychiatry ((CCPSY))

Abstract

Emerging adulthood (EA) is a newly recognized developmental stage that spans from the end of adolescence (age 18) to the beginning of adulthood in high-income countries (ages 25–30). This stage is characterized by tremendous excitement, as EAs explore various identities and experiment with different careers and relationships. However, this stage is also inherently unstable and is a period of heightened risk for mental disorders. Anxiety disorders appear to be particularly prevalent during EA and are associated with difficulty navigating the developmental transitions that occur during this life stage. In this chapter, we explore the epidemiology of anxiety disorders during EA as well as risk factors for the development of these disorders. We also consider factors relevant to the treatment of anxiety disorders in EAs, including the importance of addressing barriers to care and social factors that may be maintaining symptoms. Finally, we discuss future directions for research in this area.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    This prevalence rate included obsessive-compulsive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder, both of which were moved out of the anxiety disorder section in DSM-5.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Nicole J. LeBlanc

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA

    Nicole J. LeBlanc

  3. Child Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Program, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Aude Henin

  4. Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Aude Henin

  5. Center for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Mackenzie Brown

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  1. Nicole J. LeBlanc
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  2. Mackenzie Brown
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  3. Aude Henin
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Correspondence to Nicole J. LeBlanc .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Eric Bui

  2. Department of Psychiatry Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Meredith E. Charney

  3. Department of Psychiatry Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Amanda W. Baker

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LeBlanc, N.J., Brown, M., Henin, A. (2020). Anxiety Disorders in Emerging Adulthood. In: Bui, E., Charney, M., Baker, A. (eds) Clinical Handbook of Anxiety Disorders. Current Clinical Psychiatry. Humana, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-30687-8_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-30687-8_8

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