The Patient with Anxiety Disorders in the Emergency Department

Anxiety is a common presentation in the emergency department, as well as across medical settings. It contributes to the human emotional experience, and its presence is not always detrimental or pathological. When symptoms of anxiety become overwhelming, disruptive, or disabling, they may prompt patients (or others on their behalf) to seek treatment. Approximately one-fifth of patients presenting with mental health concerns to the emergency department are given an anxiety disorder diagnosis. This is not surprising given that anxiety disorders affect up to a quarter of the general population during their lifetime and are even more prevalent in the medically ill.