Essay on Anxiety Disorder

A friend says to you, “I’m really concerned about my 12-year-old daughter, Andrea, developing anxiety. What should I do or not do?” Andrea is in primary 6 and goes to one of the top primary schools in Singapore. Your friend says, “My daughter is always worried and anxious since she enrolled in primary school. She constantly thinks that she will not score a good aggregate in her PSLE and will not make my husband and I feel proud. She does not enjoy any extracurricular activities and often feels ‘restless’ or ‘on edge’. She constantly worries about her performance in school, her family, and her friendships. She wakes up in the middle of the night with throbbing headaches that last for several hours. She feels tense most of the day, causing her to muscles to ache. She also has difficulty paying attention in class and finishing her homework”.

On further probing your friend mentioned that Andrea has always been described as a shy person and has a very small, closely-knit, group of friends. Notably, Andrea’s level of stress significantly increases whenever she is asked to answer questions in class and when she has to present. Andrea has a hard time meeting new people and finds it difficult to concentrate on the social interaction, as she is concerned about what they will think of her. Andrea assumes that people will find her “dumb,” “boring,” or a “loser”. When she is unable to concentrate, she begins to stutter, inhibiting her ability to express herself clearly, and starts to perspire. These issues cause her to feel even more uneasy. After any social interaction, Andrea repeatedly replays the conversation in her head, focusing on the “stupid” things she had said.

a) Based on your understanding of abnormal psychology, determine whether Andrea is just nervous or showing symptoms of anxiety disorders. In addition, using literature that caters to Andrea’s unique situation, explain the possible causes of Andrea’s anxieties to your friend. [Word limit = 800] (55 marks)

b) Determine and discuss the possible evidence-based strategies to manage Andrea’s anxieties. [Word limit = 400] (35 marks)

Note: A minimum of THREE academic journal articles, published from 2010 onwards, are required for this assignment.