Unit 5 Assignment (PSY102 Fundamentals of Psychology)

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Course Paper Outline

Student Name

PSY102: Fundamentals of Psychology II

Psychology Program, Post University

Instructor Name

Due Date

Author Note

Mental disorders are not covered in PSY102 and are

therefore not an appropriate topic for this assignment.

However, this outline still provides a good sample of the

attention to detail required for this assignment, as well as

APA and scholarly source requirements.

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Course Paper Outline

A. Introduction

a. Topic sentence: GAD Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) involves persistent worry

for at least 6 months, along with feelings of apprehension about day-to-day events.

This disorder also causes physiological symptoms that effects social and occupational

functioning (Arul, 2016).

b. Those with this disorder are known to be high health care utilizers because they visit

their primary care physician very often (Culpepper, 2014).

c. More than 24 million people ages 15-54 suffer from anxiety disorders, costing the

U.S billions every year (Culpepper, 2014).

d. This is a crisis for the mental health industry because in many cases, anxiety can

effect daily functioning and lead to other problems. It can cause decreased work

productivity, missed days from work, and even unemployment (Culpepper, 2014).

B. Theme 1: Causes

a. Topic sentence: There are different reasons as to why people may develop this

disorder.

b. One study was conducted of 30 participants with GAD. They were male and female

ages 15-46. They were compared to 30 individuals that did not have this condition.

Several scales were used (Arul, 2016).

c. As a result, those with GAD went through more negative life events than the other

group. Family conflict was the biggest issue, along with marital problems, trouble

with neighbors, and sexual issues (Arul, 2016). This shows that negative life events

may be a possible cause of GAD in some people.

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d. Genetics is also a probable cause for this disorder. One’s characteristic level of

anxiety is related to a gene involved in creating serotonin (Feldman, 2015).

e. According to the behavioral perspective, environmental factors causes anxiety.

Psychologists believe anxiety is a learned response to stress (Feldman, 2015).

f. The cognitive perspective suggests that GAD can come from irrational thoughts and

beliefs about circumstances in one’s world. For example, people with anxiety

disorders may view a puppy as a savage pit bull (Feldman, 2015).

C. Theme 2: Symptoms

a. Topic sentence: There are physical and mental components of GAD

b. Physical symptoms include being unable to relax, feeling tense, feeling jumpy,

weakness all over, hands sweating, heart racing, wobbly, blocked speech, sweating all

over, difficulty breathing, hands trembling, nausea, diarrhea, fainting, and feeling to

choke.

c. Mental symptoms of GAD include difficulty concentrating, feeling frightened, fear of

losing control, unable to control thoughts, confusion, and a fear of dying (Feldman,

2015)

D. Theme 3: Treatment

a. Topic sentence: There are many treatment options for those suffering with this

condition.

b. One medication that can be used are benzodiazepines. They strengthen the effects of

γ-aminobutyric acid at the GABAA receptor, a major inhibitory neurotransmitter in

the central nervous system (Culpepper, 2014).

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c. Benzodiazepines provide quick symptom relief. Most improvement takes effect

within the first few weeks of taking this prescription. In trials comparing

benzodiazepines with a placebo, 65% to 75% of patients achieved moderate-to-

marked improvement (Culpepper, 2014).

d. Although this is usually recommended at the beginning of treatment, the medication

may lose effectiveness during long-term treatment. Therefore, physicians may need to

increase dosage during long-term treatment. As a result, this may not work for

everyone (Culpepper, 2014).

e. Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) is another medication used to treat GAD. This

preserves the serotonin and/or norepinephrine reuptake. They have been found to be

effective not only as antidepressant treatments but also as antianxiety agents

(Culpepper, 2014).

f. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are currently the most popular

prescribed treatment for anxiety disorders and are considered a first-line of treatment.

They are known to be effective antidepressant agents and for a variety of anxiety

symptoms. For many patients, however, the cost of these medications are expensive,

but some are available in generic versions. Because of the expense that comes with

medication, this shows that medications may not be best for everyone dealing with an

anxiety disorder (Culpepper, 2014).

g. Like TCAs, this medication may not work right away compared with

benzodiazepines. As a result, patients may lose patience and physicians may need to

encourage patients to stay compliant with their medication (Culpepper, 2014).

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h. Although medication can be used for treating GAD, it may bring negative effects or

interact with other medications one may be taking, and their effects typically last only

as long as the course of treatment (Vinci et. al, 2015).

i. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a method used that is widely known in the mental

health field. It brings a variety of benefits that supportive counseling, traditional

psychotherapy, and other non-pharmacologic treatments cannot provide. It is time-

limited, typically lasting 9 to 12 weeks, skill-based, and goal-oriented (Vinci, Coffey,

& Norquist, 2015, 2015).

j. Based on a 2012 review of meta-analyses of CBT, this technique has been found to be

more effective in treating generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive

compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder (PD), posttraumatic stress disorder

(PTSD), and social anxiety disorder (SAD) than control conditions, such as placebo,

and often more successful than other treatments (Vinci et. al, 2015).

k. There are five elements this method brings to those with GAD: education about GAD,

cognitive restructuring, progressive muscle relaxation, worry exposure, and in vivo

exposure (Vinci et. al, 2015).

l. CBT also provides relaxation training, an important part of treatment for GAD.

Cognitive restructuring is also vital because it involves the use of the Socratic means

of questioning, asking "Tell me what you mean by 'horrible,'" for example, and

“What about that is of most concern to you?" (Vinci et. al, 2015).

m. Worry exposure occurs when the patient engages in prolonged worry about one

particular topic instead of worrying about more than one thing. Focusing on one thing

reduces the distress that worry brings, which decreases the time spent worrying. As

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treatment improves, the patient is taught to set aside a specific time to worry (Vinci

et. al, 2015).

n. Education helps the patient understand the reason why the increased arousal response

occurs. Here, one recognizes that he or she is interpreting normal physiological

sensations negatively, for example, and that the physical response is the body's way

of protecting itself (Vinci et. al, 2015)

o. Cognitive restructuring helps those suffering from GAD change their view of the

relationship between physical symptoms and panic attacks. For instance, one may

learn to interpret a rapid heart rate as an indication that his heart is working harder

and getting stronger instead of seeing it as cardiovascular distress (Vinci et. al, 2015).

p. Interoceptive exposure therapy teaches patients to identify their internal physical

cues, like shakiness or shortness of breath. Then, they relieve their symptoms,

whether it be by taking deep breaths of taking a walk. With repeated exposure,

patients learn that the physical sensations are not dangerous, and the anxiety

associated decreases (Vinci et.al, 2015).

q. In vivo exposure involves the creation of a "fear hierarchy" of places and activities

that patient avoids due to fear of having a panic attack, then gradually exposing him

or her to them (Vinci et. al, 2015).

E. Theme 4: Impact on Society

a. Topic sentence: GAD is a problem that effects the lives of many, but it is overlooked.

b. 26 million people aged 15 to 54 years in the United States suffer from anxiety

disorders, either just having an anxiety disorder or having another psychiatric disorder

at the same time (Culpepper, 2014).

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c. Anxiety disorders cost billions of dollars in the United States each year (Culpepper,

2014).

d. Anxiety is often a chronic condition that can effect daily functioning and lead to other

problems. The severity of physical and psychosocial impairment can lead to

decreased work productivity, missed days from work, and even unemployment

(Culpepper, 2014).

e. 10% of patients screened in clinic waiting rooms suffered from unrecognized or

untreated anxiety. These patients reported worse functioning on both physical and

emotional measures than those who reported that they were not anxious. Another

source found that primary care patients with GAD demonstrated more severe to

comparable physical and psychosocial impairment than those who were diagnosed

with severe medical conditions such as diabetes or hypertension (Culpepper, 2014).

f. Dr. Culpepper emphasized that recognizing an anxiety disorder can be difficult for

physicians. Patients with anxiety disorders, like GAD, often visit their primary care

physician when they have exhausted their coping skills and are suffering from

concerns about potential illness, pain, or other physical maladies. In many cases,

patients are unaware that their physical maladies are caused by an anxiety disorder

that they do not even know that they have (Culpepper, 2014).

Conclusion

a. Topic sentence: GAD involves constant worrying about daily events over a long

period of time.

b. Summary of main conclusions: While many would think GAD is the same for

everyone, this is not the case. It is triggered by different factors in people and they

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may not experience every symptom. Fortunately, there are a variety of treatments out

there to help those living with this disorder.

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References

Arul, A. J. (2016). Study of life events and personality dimensions in generalized anxiety

disorder. Journal of Clinical & Diagnostic Research, 10(4), 5-9.

doi:10.7860/JCDR/2016/18123.7652

Culpepper, L. (2004). Effective recognition and treatment of generalized anxiety disorder in

primary care. Primary Care Companion to the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 6(1), 34-

43.

Feldman, R. (2015). Essentials of understanding psychology. (11th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.

Vinci, C., Coffey, S. F., & Norquist, G. S. (2015). When to recommend cognitive behavioral

therapy. Journal of Family Practice, 64(4), 232-237.