Anxiety disorders and workplace-related anxieties

Abstract

There are various types of workplace-related anxieties. They are partly independent clinical phenomena deserving special diagnostic and therapeutic attention.

Workplace Phobia, Workplace Problems, and Work Ability among Primary Care Patients with Chronic Mental Disorders

“…The strength of this study is that diagnostic, observer-based assessments were conducted by a research physician and based on a thorough medical assessment using validated instruments and evaluated standardized interviews for mental disorders and about general and workplace phobia in particular. 11,15,28 Comparison with the Existing Literature The data from this study add to the previous knowledge of workplace-related anxieties. They highlight that workplace-related anxieties, especially workplace phobia, are severe disorders because they are accompanied by severe burdens, including increased rates of sickness-related absence.…”

“…Among other comparable samples of patients with chronic mental disorders who are receiving psychosomatic rehabilitation, about 60% suffer from any of these workplace-related anxieties in addition to their basic mental disorder. 15 Therefore, work-related anxieties might be expected to occur regularly and pose an almost daily problem for primary care clinicians. …”

“…Sick leave certificates can reinforce avoidance behavior. The diagnosis of workplace phobia can be made from exploration with, for example, the Work Anxiety Interview 11,15 and by considering the patient's reaction when speaking directly about their workplace. In cases of workplace phobia, arousal 12 and an avoidance tendency must be observed when the workplace is discussed.…”

Bring your understanding of anxiety with you: Employees’ experiences of anxiety in open-plan offices

“…Given its complexity, there is no universally accepted understanding of anxiety (Barlow, 2002;Rachman, 2004). As a result, there is tension within the literature on whether anxiety is an emotional, psychological or physiological state (Linden & Muschalla, 2007). Within the scope of this thesis, anxiety is a context-specific emotion (Linden & Muschalla, 2007;Burrows & Davies, 1980) because this study focuses on employees' experiences of anxiety at a particular time and context.…”

“…As a result, there is tension within the literature on whether anxiety is an emotional, psychological or physiological state (Linden & Muschalla, 2007). Within the scope of this thesis, anxiety is a context-specific emotion (Linden & Muschalla, 2007;Burrows & Davies, 1980) because this study focuses on employees' experiences of anxiety at a particular time and context. Hence, this thesis adopts Lewis's definition of anxiety as an "emotional state, with the subjectively experienced quality of fear as a closely related emotion" (1970, p. 77).…”