Table 1.

Diagnostic features of the DSM-IV-TR anxiety disorders

Disorder	Key diagnostic features
Separation anxiety	Excessive anxiety associated with separation from home or caregivers
Panic disorder	Panic attacks and persistent concern about the future recurrence of attacks as well as worry about the consequences of the panic
Specific phobia	Excessive fear of specific objects or situations, subsequent avoidance of those, and/or distress associated with exposure to these objects or situations
Social phobia	Excessive fear of social and performance situations and subsequent avoidance of and/or distress associated with exposure to the situation
Generalized anxiety disorder	Excessive worry or anxiety across a number of situations and events, which is hard to control
Obsessive-compulsive disorder	Persistent intrusive thoughts that may not make sense and/or repetitive driven behaviors that the individual performs in response to obsession or in accordance with specific rules
Posttraumatic stress disorder	Persistent re-experiencing of a traumatic event through intrusive recollections, dreams, or flashbacks
Acute stress disorder	Short-term re-experiencing, dissociation, distress, and avoidance of stimuli associated with exposure to extreme stress