Anxiety disorder
In most cases, mild anxiety symptoms do not significantly affect a person’s ability to work, and appropriate workplace accommodations can provide sufficient support.
In many situations, anxiety is an appropriate response to potential threats or uncertainty. Anxiety disorder, however, is a condition diagnosed by a doctor. It involves strong, long-lasting symptoms that impair the person’s ability to function both psychologically and socially. Anxiety disorders affect 1–2% of the Finnish population. Anxiety disorders are illnesses that develop due to a variety of biological, psychological and social factors.
Anxiety disorders are characterised by an exceptionally strong sense of threat and anxiety, whether episodic or continuous, which the person may try to control through avoidance behaviour. The symptoms also often include physical symptoms, such as heart palpitations, shortness of breath or trembling.
Anxiety disorders, such as the fear of public spaces, panic disorder, fear of social situations and generalised anxiety disorder (GDA), affect the person’s functional capacity and deteriorate their quality of life. They can be alleviated with appropriate treatment. Treatments include psychotherapy, medication or the combination of both.