Origins of Phobias and Anxiety Disorders (Enhanced Edition‪)‬

This chapter sets the scene by providing an overview of anxiety disorders and associated
forms of distress, and their developmental trajectory. Themes and issues that are
relevant to the discussion throughout the ensuing chapters are introduced. For example,
the evidence that early expression of circumscribed fear confers very little risk
upon later emotional development introduces the notions that "fear" is distinct from
"disorder" and the latter is mediated and moderated by an array of factors other than
fear itself. A similar conclusion is made from the evidence that occasional symptoms of
distress in adulthood carry little predictive value for the development of anxiety
disorders without the additional influence of other risk factors. Females are at greater
risk than males for anxiousness and anxiety disorders across all ages. The epidemiology
of sex differences is reviewed in this chapter before concluding with an overview of the
principal factors believed to contribute to anxiety disorders, thus providing a structure
for the chapters to follow.