Question

For anxiety to be diagnosed, which of the following criteria must be met?

1) The symptoms must last six months or longer
2) The symptoms must interfere with daily activities, relationships, and/or work
3) The cause of the anxiety needs to be identified
4) The patient must exhibit maladaptive behaviors of coping with the anxiety

Answer 1

Anxiety disorders are diagnosed when symptoms persist for at least six months and significantly interfere with daily functioning, with other specific criteria outlined in the DSM. option 3

Step-by-step explanation:

For anxiety to be diagnosed, certain criteria must typically be met, and these are specified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) published by the American Psychiatric Association. Most commonly, the symptoms must persist for six months or longer (1), interfere with daily activities, relationships, and/or work (2), and the symptoms must not be due to the direct effects of a substance or another medical condition. However, unlike some other mental disorders, for anxiety disorders, it is not a requirement that the exact cause of the anxiety needs to be identified (3) and the patient does not necessarily need to exhibit maladaptive behaviors in coping with the anxiety (4). The focus is more on the duration, intensity, and impact of the anxiety on the person's life.