Anxiety Disorders: Introduction

Anxiety disorders are a classification of mental disorders and encompass a wide range of mental illnesses, such as generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and social phobia disorder, just to name a few. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health concern in the United States as an estimated 40 million adults in the U.S. have a type of anxiety disorder. Meanwhile, a smaller percentage of children and teenagers experience an anxiety disorder, but most people develop symptoms of an anxiety disorder before the age of 21.