How common is anxiety in Australia?

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorders in Australia yet – as we discovered when writing this article – trying to find information about anxiety and work is difficult enough to induce a mild state of panic.

Perhaps information is limited because we all experience anxiety from time to time and so it seems normal and therefore harmless. People with anxiety are often told, “Just stop thinking about it,” or “It’ll be OK, just relax.” However, if someone develops an anxiety disorder, they will most likely need more support than this in order to begin to make the most of life – and work – again.

According to Beyond Blue, around one in eight Australian men and one in twelve Australian women will experience some type of anxiety disorder in any one year. One in four people will experience an anxiety disorder in their lifetime.

In the 2004/05 National Health Survey, around 5% of Australians reported having a long term anxiety related problem. This statistic relies on people recognising that they have a problem and being prepared to admit it: in reality, anxiety is probably more wide-spread.

What kinds of anxiety are there?

Anxiety can be useful. In small doses, anxiety assists with motivation and can heighten our senses, increasing our ability to process information, make good decisions and take appropriate actions quickly.

However, anxiety disorders are often disabling and may impact poorly on many aspects of a person’s life including their personal relationships, work or schooling, social life and hobbies.

There are five main types of anxiety disorders:

1. Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD). Generalised anxiety disorder involves at least six months of excessive anxiety and worry about all kinds of things, for example health, relationships, money and work. This disproportionate worry – possibly triggered by a genuinely stressful life event – also has physical impacts such as increased muscle tension and may trigger the “flight or fight” response, a throwback to the days when humans had to deal with beasts more predatory than ill-tempered office managers!
2. Phobias (including social phobia). A phobia is the irrational fear of certain things, situations, activities or people. Social phobia – the fear that one will be negatively judged or evaluated when doing something in public – may lead to the affected person avoiding situations which make them anxious, such as giving presentations or speaking up in meetings.
3. Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). For a person with OCD, intrusive, anxiety-causing thoughts lead to obsessive, ritualistic behaviours. For example, someone may repeatedly check that all lights and appliances in their home are switched off, and may even return home during the day to ensure that the switches are still off.
4. Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). After exposure to a traumatic incident – for example a life threatening accident or a natural disaster – some people will experience persistent memories of the event, emotional numbness and a constant feeling of being on edge. This is known as post traumatic stress disorder and may be particularly problematic in the workplace if the traumatic event occurred at work. For more information, see our article on trauma and PTSD here.
5. Panic disorder. Panic attacks may be caused by a specific, anxiety-inducing situation or event, or may result from the person being anxious that another attack will occur. The attack may persist for only a few minutes or may last for up to half an hour and will typically involve symptoms such as sweating, shortness of breath, chest pains, trembling, nausea or diarrhea and thoughts that the person is going mad or dying.

How is anxiety treated?

Both medication and therapy can be used to treat anxiety, however medication only treats the symptoms rather than the causes of anxiety and may cause dependency if used beyond the short-term.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT – read our series on it here) and Exposure Therapy (in which people are gradually exposed to situations which cause them anxiety, and supported in coping with them) are effective psychological treatments for anxiety.

Other helpful methods for coping with and reducing anxiety include:

• Learning slow (not deep!) breathing techniques to help calm hyperventilation, which may occur during panic attacks;
• Exercise;
• Cutting down on caffeine, alcohol and drug intake; and
• Learning relaxation techniques such as meditation and muscle relaxation.

Our second Q&A on anxiety covers the personal and economic costs of anxiety, as well as beginning to look at its impact on work and return to work, so stay tuned.