Stressful events, such as speaking in public, can cause a brief episode of anxiety in most people. However, people with anxiety disorders are filled with persistent fear and uncertainty that can last six months or longer. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 40 million adults 18 years and older have an anxiety disorder each year. Biological, psychological and socio-cultural factors are associated with causing anxiety disorders.
Biological Causes of Anxiety
According to the National Institute of Mental Heath, genetics, nutrition and infections are biological causes of anxiety disorders. Genetic factors influence the onset, severity and progression of anxiety disorders. Dysfunctional families have a higher prevalence of anxiety disorders among parents and even greater prevalence among children compared with well-functioning families according to research published in 1989. Anxiety disorders are associated with alterations in levels of chemical messengers in the brain called neurotransmitters, particularly gamma-amino-butyric-acid, also known as GABA, and GABA receptors on nerve cells called neurons. GABA is made in the brain from the nonessential amino acid, l-glutamic acid, which is found in some protein foods and can be manufactured in the body from other amino acids. A deficiency of l-glutamic acid in the brain can affect the production of GABA and influence anxiety. Individuals who are HIV-positive have a high risk to develop an anxiety disorder, with prevalence rate as high as 39 percent, according to research at Duke University published in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes in 2006.
Psychological Causes of Anxiety
Environment and life events can cause anxiety disorders. Childhood traumatic experiences are associated with social anxiety according to research by scientists in the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the University of Gottingen in Germany in a study published in European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience. These traumatic experiences include separation from parents, marital discord among parents, family violence, sexual abuse and childhood illness. Furthermore, patients with anxiety disorder described the rearing style of their parents as unfavorable and reported higher rates of psychiatric disorders, particularly anxiety disorders in their families compared with control subjects. Children with obsessive-compulsive disorders, a form of anxiety disorder, also have significantly higher number and more negative and impactful life events in the year preceding the onset of their anxiety disorder than normal children.
Socio-Cultural Causes of Anxiety
The United States is a country of immigrants and integration of various cultures. Socio-cultural factors play a role in the cause of anxiety disorders. More mother control and less father acceptance are associated with childhood anxiety among Latin American and white European American populations living in the United States according to research conducted at Tulane University and published in the Journal of Anxiety Disorders in 2009. Furthermore, lack of family cohesion is associated with anxiety independent of ethnicity.
References
- National Institute of Mental Health: The Numbers Count: Mental Disorders in America
- "Harefuah"; [Mental Disorders in Severely Dysfunctional Well-Functioning Families]; Ben-Noun, L.; May 1 1989
- "Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes"; Prevalence of DSM-IV-Defined Anxiety Disorders in HIV Clinic; Pence, B.W.; Jul 2006
- "European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience"; Early Traumatic Life Events in Patients with Social Anxiety Disorder; Bandelow, B.; Dec 2004
- "Journal of Anxiety Disorders"; Parenting Strategies Socio-Cultural Influences in Childhood Anxiety; Varela, R.E.; Jun 2009
