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McGrath, Laura
(2023).
Abstract
Anxiety is a widely used term, used both to describe everyday experiences and in a more technical sense by mental health professionals. In this chapter you will learn about a number of psychological perspectives on the topic of anxiety. You will be introduced to some of the clinical and medical terminology used around anxiety, as well as some of the criticisms of framing anxious experiences in this way. Following this, you will be invited to think through some of the factors that could lead to someone developing a high level of anxiety. This is a vast topic, so you will learn some key examples of the types of factors which can be involved in anxiety, rather than covering every possible factor. You will then learn about some of the biological processes involved in anxious states, before moving on to some of the psychological processes which are thought to sustain anxiety over the longer term.