Review the following brief patient profiles and match each clinical presentation to its most likely DSM-5 psychiatric diagnosis.
- A 30-year-old man intensely fears speaking in public and eating in front of others due to a persistent fear of being negatively evaluated or embarrassed.Social Anxiety Disorder
- A 25-year-old woman experiences abrupt, unprovoked episodes of intense fear with palpitations, followed by weeks of persistent worry about having another episode.Panic Disorder
- A 22-year-old veteran, who returned from combat 6 months ago, experiences recurrent nightmares, flashbacks, and an exaggerated startle response.Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- A 40-year-old man reports 8 months of excessive, uncontrollable worry about multiple everyday issues, accompanied by muscle tension and poor sleep.Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Answer
The presentations are matched based on their hallmark DSM-5 criteria: Social Anxiety Disorder (fear of negative evaluation), Panic Disorder (recurrent unexpected panic attacks with anticipatory anxiety), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (symptoms lasting >1 month after trauma), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (>6 months of excessive worry across multiple domains).
Each clinical profile classically aligns with foundational DSM-5 diagnostic criteria: Social Anxiety Disorder requires a fear of scrutiny; Panic Disorder requires unexpected attacks plus anticipatory worry; PTSD requires trauma exposure with symptoms extending beyond 1 month; and GAD requires excessive, multi-domain worry lasting 6 months or more.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Diagnosis of anxiety and trauma-related disorders relies on identifying the core fear (e.g., negative evaluation, sudden physiological panic) and verifying the temporal duration of symptoms.