Predisposing and Precipitating Factors of Anxiety

Anxiety is a word we use to describe feelings of unease, worry and fear. It is often accompanied by muscular tension, restlessness, fatigue and problems in concentration. Anxiety can be appropriate, but when experienced regularly the individual may suffer from an anxiety disorder.

There are various types of anxiety. Existential anxiety can occur when a person faces angst, an existential crisis, or nihilistic feelings. People can also face mathematical anxiety, somatic anxiety, stage fright, or test anxiety. Social anxiety and stranger anxiety are caused when people are apprehensive around strangers or other people in general.


Predisposing Factors

Predisposing stressors is all the tensions in life that can cause anxiety (Suliswati, 2005). Tensions in the life can be:

1. Traumatic events, which can trigger anxiety with regard to the crisis experienced by individuals either developmental or situational crisis.
2. Emotional conflict experienced by individuals and are not resolved properly. The conflict between the id and the superego or between desire and reality can cause anxiety in individuals.
3. Impaired self-concept will lead to the inability of the individual to think in reality that will cause anxiety.
4. Frustration will lead to a sense of powerlessness to make decisions that affect ego.
5. Physical disturbance will cause anxiety because it is a threat to the physical integrity that can affect an individual's self-concept.
6. Pattern family coping mechanisms to handle stress or family patterns will affect individuals in responding to the conflict experienced due to the pattern of individual coping mechanisms studied in the family.
7. Family history of anxiety disorder will affect an individual's response to respond to conflicts and overcome anxiety.
8. Medications that can trigger anxiety is medication containing benzodizepin, because benzodiazepines can suppress neurotransmitter gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) which controls the activity of neurons in the brain that is responsible for generating anxiety.

Precipitating Factors

Stressor precipitation is all the tensions in life that can trigger the onset of anxiety (Suliswati, 2005). Stressor precipitation of anxiety are grouped into two parts, namely:
1. The threat to the physical integrity. Tensions that threaten the physical integrity which includes:

• Internal sources, including the failure of the physiological mechanisms of the immune system, regulation of body temperature, the normal biological changes (eg pregnancy).
• External sources, including exposure to viral and bacterial infections, environmental pollutants, accidents, lack of nutrition, inadequate shelter.

2. The threat to self-esteem include internal and external sources.

• Internal sources: difficulties in interpersonal dealing in the home and workplace, the adjustment to this new role. Various threats to the physical integrity of self-esteem can also be threatened.
• External sources: loss of a loved one, divorce, change in job status, pressure groups, social and cultural.