Anxiety disorders diagnosis: some history and controversies.

Treatment of and research on anxiety disorders depends on the adequate conceptualization and measurement of these conditions. We review the history of the nosology of anxiety disorders and note that divisions of "neurosis" have inadvertently taken attention away from what is shared among conditions now classified separately. We note the changes in the definition of agoraphobia over time and the striking differences between DSM-IV and ICD-10 definitions.

Psychometric properties of the panic disorder severity scale: clinician-administered and self-report versions.

The Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS) is a seven-item scale designed to assess overall severity of panic disorder symptoms. Although the PDSS is widely used, there have been limited independent studies confirming reliability and validity, particularly of the self-report version of the PDSS, and even fewer studies directly comparing the two versions. Given the need for psychometrically sound measures that comprehensively assess the main features of panic disorder, this study examined the psychometric properties of both the clinician-administered and self-report versions of the PDSS.

Dispositional optimism, goals, and engagement in health treatment programs.

It has been proposed that dispositional optimism is positively associated with treatment program engagement. However, conflicting evidence exists regarding this relationship. We examined whether the importance of a treatment goal moderates this association.

Correlates of separation anxiety symptoms among first-semester college students: an exploratory study.

Separation anxiety disorder (SAD) is rarely considered in college students with anxious symptomatology, but a growing body of evidence suggests that its symptoms are experienced by a significant number of young adults. The authors examined separation anxiety symptoms in a group of first-semester college students living on campus and experiencing extended separation from significant others, generally for the first time. They examined prevalence of separation anxiety symptoms among college students and the relationship between separation anxiety symptoms and students' educational decisions and performance.