Although the primary focus of this text is not to provide a reference on
mental illness conditions (see preface), this chapter is included for several reasons.
First, anxiety disorders are the most common psychosocial diagnoses worldwide,
making it a virtual certainty that anyone in the education profession will work with
affected students during their career. Second, this chapter provides a foundation that
will facilitate appreciation of the content in the succeeding chapter. Third, much of this
material links to other chapters herein, and hopefully enhances the understanding that
the information throughout the text is intimately and irrevocably interrelated. The
psychosocial conditions described can impact individuals along a continuum ranging
from impairing to life threatening. Following this discussion is a chapter discussing the
intricacies-and necessity-of intervening in the school setting with an anxiety disorder
largely unknown, yet not rare.
Keywords: Agoraphobia, Anxiety, Anxiety disorder, Body dysmorphic disorder,
Nightmare disorder, Obsessive compulsive disorder, Panic, Phobia, Selective
mutism.
