Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety is something all of us have felt from time to time and is a normal part of life; it is also the most common mental illness in the U.S. and worldwide48,49. There are 40 million adults who suffer from anxiety and in the U.S. and 264 million worldwide35. Globally, adult women are nearly twice as likely to suffer from anxiety (63%) compared to men (37%)48. When anxiety becomes chronic or worsens to an extent that it interferes with your relationships, work,​​ or in this case, completing a potentially lifesaving medical exam like an MRI, it is then defined as a disorder. There are three forms of anxiety disorders: generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, and phobia-related disorders such as claustrophobia50. Another disorder that is rarely mentioned in relation to MRI is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which will be discussed in detail in this section.

Figure 2. Global Anxiety Male verses Female