ABSTRACT
Research on anxiety has accelerated since the 1980s. Specialized clinics for dealing with anxiety disorders have been introduced and self-help groups established in many parts of the world. This growth is justi®ed because anxiety is one of the most prominent and pervasive emotions, and large numbers of people are distressed by inappropriate or excessive anxiety. In part, the steep increase in interest was prompted by the decision of the American Psychiatric Association committee responsible for preparing a new diagnostic system for `` mental disorders'' to create a separate category for anxiety disorders and to introduce clear de®nitions and criteria for diagnosing these disorders (Barlow, 2002; Norton, Cox, Asmundson, & Maser, 1995). The introduction of this classi®cation systemÐThe Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)Ðwas a major advance on the chaos that prevailed before 1980 but the system has serious shortcomings. It is a categorical classi®cation where a dimensional system would be preferable, and it encourages the unfortunate idea that all anxiety problems are pathological: are indeed mental disorders.
