노년기 불안장애

Anxiety Disorders in Late-Life

Relatively little attention has been devoted to the study of anxiety disorders in late-life. However, there has been accumulating evidences that anxiety disorders in elderly were clinically important in terms of their prevalence, the distress they cause, the cost to services and the potential for treatment and prevention. The relatively complex nature of anxiety in elderly rendered these conditions to be often misdiagnosed and inappropriately treated. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the prevalence, etiology, assessment, and treatment of anxiety is mandatory in this population. This review focused on the current knowledge of anxiety disorders in late-life highlighting the differences with that in adults.