Compared with generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder is characterized by periods of distress that are ________ intense and ________ prolonged.

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

To tackle this question, we first compare the core characteristics of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and panic disorder in terms of intensity and duration of distress.
Option a: 'less; less' suggests panic attacks are both less intense and shorter, which contradicts clinical understanding that panic episodes are typically highly intense and brief, not mild and fleeting. This underestimates the acute nature of panic symptoms.
Option b: 'more; less' states that panic disorder involves distress that is more intense but less prolonged. This aligns with how panic attacks are described: sudden, severe surges of fear and physical symptoms that reach a peak quickly and dissipate within minutes, contrasted with the chronic, longer-lasting worry seen in GAD. This option correctly captures the contrast between the two disorders.
Option c: 'more; more' implies panic distress is both more intense and more prolonged, which is inconsistent with the episodic, abrupt nature of panic attacks and with GAD’s tendency toward persistent, long-lasting worry.
Option d: 'less; more' claims panic distress is less intense but more prolonged, which again mischaracterizes panic attacks as neither less intense nor extended; such a description would fit a less acute, long-duration anxiety pattern rather than the sudden, acute episodes typical of panic disorder.

Overall, the reasoning supports option b as the accurate characterization: panic disorder involves episodes of very high intensity that are relatively brief, in contrast to the generally persistent and longer-lasting distress seen in generalized anxiety disorder.

PSY 200 (002) Spring 2025 Introduction to Psychology

Compared with generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder is characterized by periods of distress that are intense and prolonged.

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