Anxiety: assessment and management

Anxiety presentations are understood to be manifestations of the protective evolutionary mechanism known as the fight or flight response. This response incorporates a pattern of physiological, behavioural, emotional and cognitive changes that for most will be mild and time limited and help manage or avoid the threats we associate with everyday life. For some, however, these changes will develop into a sustained and often distressing clinical condition. Primary care staff are frequently the first healthcare professionals to encounter individuals experiencing anxiety and anxiety disorders and this article is designed to support the identification, assessment, treatment and referral on for this client group.