Anxiety

Anxiety is a normal response when faced with danger, fear or a threat and can be a useful response in these situations for example, when surviving a major accident or trying to rescue a loved one. An anxiety disorder differs from normal anxiety in that it:

• is more severe or excessive
• is long lasting (more than 6 months) or recurring
• often leads to feelings of powerlessness in terms of managing symptoms
• can be linked to depressive disorders (which relates to powerlessness)
• can interfere with a person's ability to carry out their work or to have satisfying relationships.

Links to specific types of anxiety disorders

• Obsessive compulsive disorder
• Generalised anxiety disorder
• Post traumatic stress disorder
• Phobic disorders
• Panic disorder
  

Workplace solutions and adjustments

There are solutions and adjustments for the following job requirements:

• attention and memory
• dealing with stress and psychological demands 
• interacting with others
• managing emotions at work
• problem solving and decision making

References

Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, Mental Health Council Inc. & Kitchener, B., A. & Jorm, A., F. at ORYGEN Research Centre, University of Melbourne 2006, Mental Health First Aid in the Workplace—an e-learning course, Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, Canberra.