Anxiety Disorders and Work Performance

Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent group of psychiatric illnesses in the workforce (American Psychiatric Association (APA) 2000; Sanderson and Andrews 2006).The lifetime prevalence of anxiety disorders (as a group) in the general population is approximately 14% (APA 200; SEMeD/MHEDEA Investigators 2004a; Kessler et al. 2005). These disorders typically follow a chronic course and are accompanied by substantial functional impairment and an elevated suicide risk (Khan et al. 2002; Spitzer et al. 1995; van Balkom et al.2008; Yonkers et al.2003). More than half of the persons diagnosed with an anxiety disorder will have a comorbid psychiatric condition, the most com2008). Chronic medical conditions (e.g., cardiovascular disease, chronic pain, asthma) are also common among people with anxiety disorders (Demyttenare et al. 2008; Roy-Bryne et al. 2008; Zvolensy and Smits 2008). Despite significant advances in evidence-based interventions, these disorders tend to go unrecognized and untreated (Lim et al. 2000; Schonfeld et al.1997).