Anxiety disorders are the most common form of behavioral health disorder in the world. In the US alone, over 40 million adults suffer from an anxiety disorder, accounting for over one-third of the country’s behavioral health costs. Research also indicates that anxiety disorders are highly prevalent among children, with 8-10% of children identified as meeting criteria for an anxiety disorder in any given year. The financial costs of having a child with an anxiety disorder are also high; medical expenses are 21 times higher than those incurred by families without an anxious child. There are many different types of anxiety disorders, including panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and social anxiety disorder, as well as related conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder. Although persons between the ages of 10 and 25 are at the highest risk for anxiety disorders, these conditions can occur at any time in life, and once manifest, tend to maintain a chronic, fluctuating life course. Furthermore, it is estimated that approximately 60-80% of the U.S. population will experience traumatic life events, such as childhood physical or sexual abuse, physical or sexual assault, motor vehicle accidents, or natural disasters. Trauma-related disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), acute stress disorder, and reactive attachment disorder (children), may manifest in the aftermath of trauma and may include distressing re-experiencing of the event, avoidance of trauma-related conversations or activities, negative changes in thinking and mood, and/or changes in emotional reactions. It may also have long-term effects for personality development. The impact of anxiety and trauma-related conditions, such as PTSD is staggering, leading to significant impairment in educational (e.g., poor performance), occupational (e.g., missed work days), and personal domains (e.g., dysfunctional relationships). In children, anxiety disorders and traumatic stress have been associated with significant and often chronic difficulties in individual, peer, school, and family domains. Anxiety and trauma-related disorders also are associated with increased risk of other behavioral health disorders and conditions, with at least 75% of persons with an anxiety or trauma-related disorder experiencing at least one other behavioral disorder (e.g., depression, suicide, substance use disorders, personality problems) in their lifetime. Anxiety and trauma-related disorders also are correlated with an increased risk of physical health problems, including respiratory illnesses (e.g., asthma), cardiovascular disease, cancer, sleep disorders, unmanageable allergies, and chronic pain. Unemployment, lower education, and low income are also common correlates, leaving many subsets of society at increased levels of risk, consequently contributing to health inequalities across the nation and in Texas.

Although anxiety and trauma disorders are treatable, the best estimates suggest only 10%-30% of persons with these conditions have access to and receive evidenced-based care. Anxiety and trauma related disorders appear to be caused and maintained by a wide range of genetic, personality, learning (e.g., traumatic events), environmental (e.g., chronic stress), and lifestyle habits (e.g., smoking).