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Anxiety is an emotional state that is negative. When a person is in a state of anxiety, he expects some unfavorable outcome of the situation, negative consequences. At the same time, anxiety differs from fear: if fear is of a very definite nature, then anxiety is an indefinite state, the causes of which are not completely clear even to the person himself.Anxiety is the tendency of a person to experience anxiety in various situations. In order to emphasize that the level of anxiety is higher than normal, the term is usually used. increased anxiety .
Anxiety itself is not a disease. But its increase can be accompanied by a large number of diseases.
Why do some people have high anxiety?
First of all, it is worth mentioning that high anxiety is a rather conditional concept. It is difficult to determine the line beyond which normal anxiety ends and increased anxiety begins. At different people it is expressed in different ways, and scientists are not yet fully aware of the reasons for this. It is known that one of the factors of increased anxiety is heredity. predisposition to such emotional states partly embedded in the human genes. The second reason is improper upbringing and negative life experience.
If anxiety is not symptom mental illness, then psychologists are engaged in its treatment. Different schools of psychology give different meaning each of the reasons.
Varieties of anxiety
Personal anxiety- this is a person's tendency to experience excessive anxiety in those situations in which its occurrence is, in principle, normal, but in other people it is not so pronounced.Personal anxiety, as its name implies, is associated with personality, character, temperament, human genes. For example, usually such people are more inclined to be closed in themselves, unsociable.
Personal anxiety is a condition that affects all areas of a person’s life: motivation, self-esteem, communication with other people, etc.
situational anxiety It manifests itself only in certain situations that are stressful for a particular person. The rest of the time, he may feel completely normal and not experience any problems.
The following factors can lead to situational anxiety:
1.
We live in a world that is rapidly changing. Political, economic turmoil, natural disasters, civil unrest, negative news in the media - all this daily undermines peace of mind person. As a result, increased anxiety modern society is becoming more and more common.
2.
Since man is a social being, he communicates daily with many of his own kind. In a complex society, one cannot do without conflicts and misunderstandings. But all of them are also capable of provoking a state of increased anxiety.
3.
Close people play a particularly important role in the life of each of us: spouses, children, parents, other relatives and close friends. Unfortunately, relationships with them do not always deliver only joyful moments.
4.
Every person has a certain baggage of negative life experience. Each of us, to one degree or another, is afraid of something, avoids something, experiences his own psychological complexes and phobias. In certain situations, they facilitate the emergence of a state of increased anxiety.
Causes and types of anxiety - video
Age groups
Anxiety is a symptom that can affect anyone in any age group. Even in newborns, in whom it manifests itself in increased anxiety, tearfulness, poor sleep, and appetite. Structure becomes more complex with age nervous system of a person - respectively, and anxious states become more complex.Children's anxiety
Children with increased anxiety are much more likely to fall into a state of anxiety and anxiety. They are more likely than other children to have fears, including obsessive ones (phobias). For example, being in kindergarten, the child may not find a place for himself because of anxiety about "how is mom, what if something happened to her at work?". Increased anxiety in preschoolers in most cases is combined with other psychological problems. Very often, these kids suffer from low self-esteem. In a peer group, they occupy secondary roles, or become withdrawn into themselves, and prefer to play separately from the rest.
Usually, adults characterize anxious children as modest, shy, praise them for good behavior and set an example for other, more restless peers. With parents, teachers and other people, a child with an increased level of anxiety behaves modestly and restrainedly, usually tries not to make unnecessary movements and not attract attention to himself, he prefers not to meet the eyes of adults, but to look at the floor.
With high anxiety in preschoolers, neuroses are often found, which manifest themselves in various obsessive thoughts and movements, phobias. Such children often bite their nails, pull out the hair on their heads, and engage in masturbation. All these actions work for the child like rituals: they help relieve emotional stress, anxiety, and calm down for a while.
Why does a child have an increased level of anxiety?
There are two main groups of reasons:
1.
The child's condition.
Factors that contribute to high anxiety include:
- hereditary features of the nervous system and character of the child: if parents suffer from an increased level of anxiety, then the child can adopt this trait;
- birth trauma;
- infections and other diseases that a newborn child has had;
- illnesses that the mother suffered during pregnancy;
- damage to the nervous system of the fetus and child before, during and after childbirth.
Increased anxiety in childhood is fertile ground for the development of neuroses: hysterical, neurasthenic, obsessive thoughts, movements, fears (phobias).
school anxiety
The first visit to school for a child is undoubtedly stressful. After all, he finds himself in a completely new environment with new people, rules and norms of behavior, new relationships (he has teachers, classmates). Any process of cognition is initially fraught with uncertainty, and it is the first cause of anxiety in any person.At school, a child may experience anxiety about the fact that he will study poorly, will not cope with some subjects, will not like the teacher, peers, will not be able to restrain his excitement, being near the blackboard, etc.
The main causes that lead to school anxiety are:
- too large loads on students, which are generally very typical for a modern school;
- the inability of the child to cope with the school curriculum in general, or with individual subjects;
- inadequacy on the part of parents who force the child to "become an excellent student", consider him "the best" and constantly quarrel with other parents and teachers, or, on the contrary, consider him "a mediocrity and a slob" and constantly scold him;
- negative attitude from class teachers;
- rejection from peers, poor relations in the children's team;
- frequent change of staff, teachers;
- frequent tests and examinations, and in general - frequent situations in which the student is assessed.
High school anxiety can be a manifestation of one of the following pathological conditions:
- school neurosis. This is an unconscious anxiety associated with attending school. The child is not aware. This can manifest itself both in behavior and in the form of symptoms such as headaches, nausea and vomiting before attending school.
- school phobia. These are different fears that are associated with attending school. They are obsessive, irresistible, most often ridiculous and not associated with any apparent reasons.
- Didactogenic neurosis - a kind of neurosis, which is associated with the child's attitude to the learning process itself.
Teenage anxiety
Enhanced level Anxiety among adolescents is a special problem that requires separate consideration and has its own specifics. Adolescence is a critical, transitional age. Perhaps this is the biggest restructuring that the human body experiences in the process of life, in all respects. And it contributes to the development of anxiety.
Teenage anxiety is usually caused by the following factors:
1.
Hormonal, physiological restructuring of the body. This is stress for all organs and systems, including the nervous one. For example, receptors sensitive to the action of sex hormones appear for the first time in the brains of boys and girls. As a result, completely new emotions and sensations arise that were previously absent.
2.
Adolescence is a gradual gaining of independence and the need to make decisions and choices on your own. For yesterday's child, this is a real test. Usually, the wider and more responsible life choice is, the more this situation predisposes to an increase in the level of anxiety.
3.
There are also changes in the team. Adolescents tend to have a negative attitude towards "white crows", in their relationships there is often aggression and harsh assessments.
4.
Adolescent idealism is a desire that causes a very high level needs and aspirations of boys and girls. But in real life often it turns out not to be the case. And it also predisposes to teenage anxiety.
5.
Teenagers are generally characterized by periods of excessive sociability, which are then replaced by depression and isolation, neurosis, emotional swings.
Anxiety in adult life
In the life of an adult, there are constantly a large number of factors that can provoke anxiety:1. It's certain age periods. For example, the level of anxiety increases during the so-called midlife crisis and menopause in women.
2. Many professions are associated with constant stress, overwork, irregular schedules, lack of sleep. All this provokes an increase in the level of anxiety and other psychological problems.
3. Adults, as well as children, often experience anxiety when it is necessary to speak in public, in an unfamiliar society, in an ambiguous situation.
4. In men, stress often occurs with frequent changes of sexual partners, since each time there is fear to one degree or another. possible failure, fiasco.
5. In addition, in life there are negative situations associated with illness, divorce, loss of loved ones, work. A huge amount of stress is due to economic instability and loans, which in last years became so widespread among the population.
Increased anxiety can occur in a person throughout life, without leading to any more serious disorders and diseases. But more often it results in depression, various forms of neuroses, phobias, diseases of internal organs (primarily the nervous and cardiovascular systems), mental illness.
Therefore, if a person constantly feels internal discomfort, then this condition must be fought. Correctly this will only be done by appropriate specialists.
Who to contact if you notice signs of high
anxiety?
High anxiety is a condition that cannot be diagnosed just like that, just by talking to a person once for five minutes. This will not be enough even for a specialist. Moreover, a person who is far from psychology and psychiatry will not be able to establish a diagnosis. Diagnosis and treatment of anxiety disorders are carried out by professionals who are specially trained in this:
- Psychologists. These are people without medical education. It is advisable to contact them with relatively mild anxiety. In psychology, to this day there are no general rules and principles. Each school works in its own way, and all the methods used are copyrighted to some extent. Therefore, one psychologist may be a good fit for you, while another may not be able to provide any real help.
- Psychotherapists. They have medical education, but can only treat psychological disorders, not mental illness, as they do not have a specialization in psychiatry.
- Psychiatrists. They treat mental disorders, one of the symptoms of which is increased anxiety.
How is anxiety diagnosed?
When a patient gets an appointment with a specialist, there are two tasks:1. Find out if there is any anxiety in this case?
2. If it is, how strongly is it expressed?
The level of anxiety is not a measure of blood pressure or temperature. There is no such device that could instantly measure this indicator. For this, there are special tests and questionnaires. Below we will consider the most common and effective.
The tests are described in detail, and for the sake of interest and familiarization, you can take them yourself. But remember that only a specialist can professionally assess your condition.
Temple-Amen-Dorky test
This is a popular anxiety test that was designed specifically for children. It was created by three authors, but is often known by only one name. For example, it is called the Amen Anxiety Test, the Dorky Anxiety Test, or the Temple Anxiety Test.During this test, the child will encounter some life situations in which he must choose one or another model of behavior.
In order to conduct the Temple-Amen-Dorkey anxiety test, the child is shown 14 pictures with various subjects: they show a child (a girl or a boy, depending on the gender of the child being tested). The face of the character in the picture is not traced. Two options are attached - a joyful and sad expression. The child is asked to choose the one that best suits the situation.
During the Dorki anxiety test, the pictures are shown to the child in a strictly defined sequence:
1.
child playing with toddler younger age. Is he happy or sad at this time?
2.
The child walks next to the mother, who is carrying a baby in a stroller. Is the older brother (sister) joyful or sad at this time?
3.
A peer shows aggression towards the child - runs and tries to hit him.
4.
The child independently puts on socks and shoes. Does this occupation give him positive emotions?
5.
The child plays with older children. Is he happy or sad at this time?
6.
Mom and dad are watching TV, and at this time the child goes to sleep alone. Joy or sadness?
7.
What kind of face will the child have while washing? He washes himself, without the help of mom and dad.
8.
What is the face of a child when one of the parents scolds him for something?
9.
The father plays with the baby and at this time ignores the older child. Is that happy or sad?
10.
A peer tries to take away a toy from a child. Is this a fun game or a fight? Sad or fun?
11.
The mother forces the child to pick up the scattered toys. What emotions does it evoke?
12.
Peers leave the child. Sad or funny?
13.
Family portrait: child, mom and dad. Does the son (daughter) have a happy expression at this moment?
14.
The child eats and drinks alone.
After the child has passed the Dorki Amen anxiety test, his answers are entered in the following table:
| Number drawing | Joy | Sadness |
| 1 | + | |
| 2 | + | |
| 3 | + | |
| 4 | + | |
| 5 | + | |
| 6 | + | |
| 7 | + | |
| 8 | + | |
| 9 | + | |
| 10 | + | |
| 11 | + | |
| 12 | + | |
| 13 | + | |
| 14 | + |
This is an indicative, one of the possible answers of the child. There are no standards for this test. The result is evaluated by the formula:
X = (number of sad emotions / 14) * 100%
That is, they calculate the share of sad emotions in relation to the total number of answers. The Dorki Amen Anxiety Test is interpreted as follows:
- X more than 50% - increased level of anxiety;
- X is from 20 to 50% - anxiety of the average level;
- X less than 20% - low level of anxiety.
Phillips School Anxiety Test
Schoolchildren are usually tested for anxiety levels using the popular Phillips test. With it, you can determine how high the anxiety of each student, as well as other indicators. Usually a test for the level of school anxiety is carried out by a psychologist who works at the school. The entire class is tested at once. That is, a kind of screening is carried out, which helps to carry out mass diagnostics, identify the most anxious children and begin psychological work with them. Of course, the psychologist will share this information with the parents and give them recommendations on how to build relationships in the family.
In the Phillips Anxiety Test, children are asked 58 questions, asked to answer them truthfully, and warned that there are no "good" or "bad," "right" or "wrong" answers. Then the analysis is carried out and the following points are evaluated:
1.
The level of general school anxiety.
2.
The power of experiencing stressful situations in society.
3.
Anxiety associated with the desire to achieve success in school, good grades.
4.
Fears associated with self-expression.
5.
Fear associated with testing knowledge, how calm or anxious the child is about control work, answers "for evaluation".
6.
Fear of not meeting expectations from classmates, teachers.
7.
The ability to resist stress at the physiological level.
8.
Fears and difficulties that arise in relationships with teachers.
| Factors | Question numbers |
| 1. General anxiety at school | 2, 3, 7, 12, 16, 21, 23, 26, 28, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58; sum = 22 |
| 2. Experience social stress | 5, 10, 15, 20, 24, 30, 33, 36, 39, 42, 44; sum = 11 |
| 3. Frustration of the need to achieve success | 1, 3, 6, 11, 17, 19, 25, 29, 32, 35, 38, 41, 43; sum = 13 |
| 4. Fear of self-expression | 27, 31, 34, 37, 40, 45; sum = 6 |
| 5. Fear of a situation of knowledge testing | 2, 7, 12, 16, 21, 26; sum = 6 |
| 6. Fear of not meeting the expectations of others | 3, 8, 13, 17, 22; sum = 5 |
| 7. Low physiological stress resistance | 9, 14, 18, 23, 28; sum = 5 |
| 8. Problems and fears in relationships with teachers | 2, 6, 11, 32, 35, 41, 44, 47; sum = 8 |
KEY TO QUESTIONS
| 1 - | 7 - | 13 - | 19 - | 25 + | 31 - | 37 - | 43 + | 49 - | 55 - |
| 2 - | 8 - | 14 - | 20 + | 26 - | 32 - | 38 + | 44 + | 50 - | 56 - |
| 3 - | 9 - | 15 - | 21 - | 27 - | 33 - | 39 + | 45 - | 51 - | 57 - |
| 4 - | 10 - | 16 - | 22 + | 28 - | 34 - | 40 - | 46 - | 52 - | 58 - |
| 5 - | 11 + | 17 - | 23 - | 29 - | 35 + | 41 + | 47 - | 53 - | |
| 6 - | 12 - | 18 - | 24 + | 30 + | 36 + | 42 - | 48 - | 54 - |
Questionnaire text 1. Do you find it difficult to keep up with the whole class? 2. Do you get nervous when the teacher says that he is going to test how well you know the material? 3. Do you find it difficult to work in the classroom the way the teacher wants? 4. Do you sometimes dream that the teacher is furious because you don't know the lesson? 5. Has anyone in your class ever hit or hit you? 6. Do you often wish your teacher would take your time explaining new material until you understand what he is saying? 7. Do you worry a lot when answering or completing a task? 8. Does it happen to you that you are afraid to speak up in class because you are afraid of making a stupid mistake? 9. Do your knees tremble when you are called to answer? 10. Do your classmates often laugh at you when you play different games? 11. Do you ever get a lower grade than you expected? 12. Are you worried about whether you will be left for the second year? 13. Do you try to avoid games in which choices are made because you are usually not chosen? 14. Does it happen at times that you are trembling all over when you are called to answer? 15. Do you often get the feeling that none of your classmates want to do what you want? 16. Do you worry a lot before starting a task? 17. Is it difficult for you to get the grades your parents expect from you? 18. Are you afraid at times that you will feel sick in class? 19. Will your classmates laugh at you, will you make a mistake when answering? 20. Do you look like your classmates? 21. After completing a task, do you worry about how well you did it? 22. When you work in class, are you sure that you will remember everything well? 23. Do you sometimes dream that you are at school and cannot answer the teacher's question? 24. Is it true that most guys are friendly to you? 25. Do you work harder if you know that your work will be compared in class with your classmates? 26. Do you often dream about being less worried when you are asked? 27. Are you afraid at times to get into an argument? 28. Do you feel that your heart begins to beat strongly when the teacher says that he is going to test your readiness for the lesson? 29. When you get good grades, do any of your friends think that you want to curry favor? 30. Do you feel good with those of your classmates whom the guys treat with special attention? 31. Does it happen that some guys in the class say something that hurts you? 32. Do you think that those students who do not cope with their studies lose their disposition? 33. Do most of your classmates seem to ignore you? 34. Are you often afraid to look ridiculous? 35. Are you satisfied with the way teachers treat you? 36. Does your mother help in organizing evenings, like other mothers of your classmates? 37. Have you ever worried about what others think of you? 38. Do you hope to study better in the future than before? 39. Do you think that you dress for school as well as your classmates? 40. When answering a lesson, do you often think about what other people think about you at that time? 41. Do bright students have any special rights that other children in the class do not have? 42. Do some of your classmates get angry when you manage to be better than them? 43. Are you satisfied with the way your classmates treat you? 44. Do you feel good when you are alone with a teacher? 45. Do your classmates sometimes make fun of your appearance and behavior? 46. Do you think that you worry about your school affairs more than other guys? 47. If you can't answer when asked, do you feel like you're about to burst into tears? 48. When you lie in bed in the evening, do you sometimes worry about what will happen at school tomorrow? 49. When working on a difficult task, do you sometimes feel that you have completely forgotten things that you knew well before? 50. Does your hand tremble slightly when you are working on a task? 51. Do you feel nervous when the teacher says that he is going to give the class an assignment? 52. Does testing your knowledge at school scare you? 53. When the teacher says that he is going to give the class a task, do you feel fear that you will not cope with it? 54. Have you ever dreamed that your classmates can do things that you cannot? 55. When the teacher explains the material, do you think that your classmates understand it better than you? 56. On your way to school, do you worry that the teacher might give the class a test paper? 57. When you complete a task, do you usually feel that you are doing it poorly? 58. Does your hand tremble slightly when the teacher asks you to do an assignment on the blackboard in front of the whole class? |
Spielberg-Khanin Anxiety Self-Assessment Scale
The Spielberg and Khanin Anxiety Inventory is a relatively simple test that allows you to self-assess your level of anxiety to see if you need to see a psychologist or therapist. This is a simple anxiety level diagnostic using 40 questions, which are divided into two groups. More precisely, these are not even questions, but statements with which you can agree or not. The first 20 questions of the Spielberg test characterize reactive or situational anxiety. This is the level of anxiety you are currently experiencing.
Questions 20 to 40 are designed to assess personal anxiety. This is a trait of your character that does not depend on the situation, but simply manifests itself under certain circumstances.
During the test, you simply cross out the statements with which you agree. And then interpret the result like this:
For reactive (situational) anxiety:
SUM1 - SUM2 + 50, where
SUM1 is the sum of the crossed out numbers opposite items 3, 4, 6, 7 9, 13, 14, 17, 18.
SUM2 is the sum of the remaining crossed out numbers (points 1, 2, 5, 8, 10, I, 15, 19, 20).
For personal anxiety:
SUM1 - SUM2 + 35, where
SUM1 is the sum of the crossed out numbers opposite items 22, 23, 24, 25, 28, 29, 31, 32, 34, 35, 37, 38, 40.
SUM2 is the sum of the remaining crossed out figures (points 21, 26, 27, 30, 33, 36, 39).
When a person has an increased level of anxiety, it often happens subconsciously, independently of us, and we are not aware of it. The Spielberg-Khanin Anxiety Test allows you to identify this yourself to find out if you have problems.
| Answer sheet |
|||||
| Instructions: Read carefully each of the following sentences and cross out the appropriate number on the right, depending on how you feel at the moment. Do not think about questions for a long time, because there are no right or wrong answers. | No it's not | Perhaps so | Right | Done right | |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 1 | I'm calm | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 2 | Nothing threatens me | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 3 | I'm under pressure | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 4 | I feel regret | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 5 | I feel free | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 6 | I'm sad | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 7 | I'm worried about possible failures | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 8 | I feel rested | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 9 | I'm uptight | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 10 | I feel a sense of inner satisfaction | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 11 | I'm confident | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 12 | I'm nervous | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 13 | I can't find my place | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 14 | I'm energized | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 15 | I don't feel stiff, tense | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 16 | I am satisfied | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 17 | I'm preoccupied | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 18 | I'm too excited and I'm not myself | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 19 | I'm happy | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 20 | I am pleased to | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Answer sheet Surname________________________________ Date________________________ |
|||||
| Instructions: Read carefully each of the following sentences and cross out the appropriate number to the right, depending on how you usually feel. Do not think about questions for a long time, because there are no right or wrong answers. | Almost never | Sometimes | Often | Almost always | |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 21 | I feel pleasure | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 22 | I get tired very quickly | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 23 | I can cry easily | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 24 | I would like to be as happy as others | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 25 | I often lose because I don't make decisions fast enough. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 26 | I usually feel upbeat | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 27 | I am calm, cool and collected | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 28 | Expected difficulties usually worry me a lot. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 29 | I worry too much about trifles | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 30 | I'm quite happy | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 31 | I take everything too personally | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 32 | I lack self-confidence | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 33 | I usually feel safe | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 34 | I try to avoid critical situations and difficulties | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 35 | I get blues | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 36 | I am satisfied | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 37 | All sorts of trifles distract and excite me | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 38 | I experience my disappointments so much that I can’t forget about them for a long time. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 39 | I am a balanced person | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 40 | I am overcome with great anxiety when I think about my affairs and worries. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Other questionnaires and methods for detecting high anxiety
In addition to those listed above, there are other questionnaires and tests to determine the level of anxiety in adults and children. Different psychologists and psychotherapists use different techniques, but basically they can be reduced to the following:- different sets of questions that the subject must answer;
- communication with the patient, questioning: this is a very common method in psychoanalysis;
- observation of the patient: this method is often used, for example, by child psychologists;
- drawing test - also used mainly in children, but can also be used in adults;
- survey of relatives, friends, colleagues at work.
Anxiety test in children (Temple-Amen-Dorkey) - video
How to overcome anxiety?
Sometimes a person can get rid of high anxiety on their own. But this happens relatively infrequently and only in cases where it is not very high. In most cases, only a professional specialist - a psychologist, a psychotherapist or, in the presence of a mental illness - a psychiatrist, can help.Consider the main directions of treatment of increased anxiety and anxiety disorders.
Medical therapy
Can only be prescribed by a psychotherapist or psychiatrist. Psychologists do not have a medical background and cannot prescribe medication. With high anxiety, the following drugs are prescribed.
The method of subjective assessment of situational and personal anxiety Ch.D. Spielberger and Yu.L. Khanin (an anxiety test by Spielberger Khanin) determines the level of anxiety based on a self-esteem scale (high, medium, low anxiety).
Situational anxiety (ST) occurs as a reaction to stressors, most often of a socio-psychological nature (expectation of an aggressive reaction, a threat to self-esteem, etc.). Personal (LT) - gives an idea of the susceptibility of the individual to the effects of certain stressors due to their individual characteristics.
Situational and personal anxiety are associated with types of temperament (according to J. Strelyau). So a high level of involvement in activities (i.e. a high level of ST) is typical for melancholics, an average level for a phlegmatic person, a low level for a choleric person and, last but not least, for a sanguine person.
Another picture can be observed when compared with types of temperament (according to J. Strelyau) with personal anxiety (LT). A high level of personal anxiety, indicating a high personal activity, is observed in sanguine and melancholic people, a low level - for a phlegmatic and choleric person.
Anxiety scale. Spielberger Hanin's Anxiety Test. (Method of assessing anxiety Ch.D. Spielberger and Yu.L. Khanin):
Anxiety test, part I.
Instruction.
Read carefully each of the sentences below and cross out the appropriate number to the right, depending on HOW YOU FEEL AT THE MOMENT. Answer the first thing that comes to mind.
Self-Assessment Scale (ST) - Test material (questions)
| № | no, it's not like that at all | perhaps so | right | quite right | |
| 1. | I'm calm | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 2. | Nothing threatens me | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 3. | I'm under pressure | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 4. | I feel regret | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 5. | I feel free | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 6. | I'm sad | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 7. | I'm worried about possible failures | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 8. | I feel rested | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 9. | I'm uptight | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 10. | I feel a sense of inner satisfaction | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 11. | I'm confident | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 12. | I'm nervous | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 13 | I can't find my place | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 14. | I'm energized | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 15. | I do not feel stiffness, tension | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 16. | I am satisfied | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 17. | I'm preoccupied | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 18. | I'm too excited and I'm not myself | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 19. | I'm happy | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 20. | I am pleased to | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Anxiety test, part II.
Instruction.
Read each of the following sentences carefully and cross out the appropriate number to the right, depending on how YOU USUALLY FEEL. Answer the first thing that comes to mind.
The anticipation of difficulties worries me greatly.
I worry too much about trifles.
Self-Assessment Scale (LT)
| № | no, it's not like that at all | perhaps so | right | quite right | |
| 1. | I feel pleasure | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 2. | I get tired quickly | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 3. | I can cry easily | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 4. | I would like to be as happy as others | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 5. | Sometimes I lose because I don't make decisions fast enough. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 6. | I feel upbeat | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 7. | I am calm, cool and collected | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 8. | The expectation of difficulties worries me a lot. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 9. | I worry too much about trifles | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 10. | I am quite happy | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 11. | I take everything too personally | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 12. | I lack self-confidence | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 13. | I feel safe | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 14. | I try to avoid critical situations and difficulties | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 15. | I get blues | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 16. | I am satisfied | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 17. | All sorts of trifles distract and excite me | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 18. | I experience my disappointments so much that I can’t forget about them for a long time. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 19. | I am a balanced person | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 20. | I am overcome with great anxiety when I think about my affairs and worries. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
The key to the anxiety test.
Introductory remarks. The measurement of anxiety as a personality trait is especially important, since this property largely determines the behavior of the subject. Certain level anxiety is a natural and obligatory feature of an active active personality. Each person has their own optimal, or desirable, level of anxiety - this is the so-called useful anxiety. A person's assessment of his state in this respect is an essential component of self-control and self-education for him.
Personal anxiety is understood as a stable individual characteristic that reflects the subject's predisposition to anxiety and suggests that he has a tendency to perceive a fairly wide "fan" of situations as threatening, responding to each of them with a certain reaction. As a predisposition, personal anxiety is activated by the perception of certain stimuli, regarded by a person as dangerous to self-esteem, self-esteem. Situational or reactive anxiety as a condition is characterized by subjectively experienced emotions: tension, anxiety, concern, nervousness. This state occurs as an emotional reaction to a stressful situation and can be different in intensity and dynamism over time.
Individuals classified as highly anxious tend to perceive a threat to their self-esteem and life in a wide range of situations and respond with a very pronounced state of anxiety. If a psychological test expresses a high indicator of personal anxiety in a subject, then this gives reason to assume that he has a state of anxiety in a variety of situations, especially when they relate to assessing his competence and prestige.
Most of the known methods for measuring anxiety allow you to evaluate either only personal anxiety, or a state of anxiety, or more specific reactions. The only method that allows differentially measuring anxiety both as a personal property and as a state is the method proposed by C. D. Spielberger. In Russian, his scale was adapted by Yu. L. Khanin.
Scale of situational anxiety (ST)
Instruction. Read each of the following sentences carefully and cross out the number in the appropriate box on the right, depending on how you feel at the moment. Do not think about questions for a long time, because there are no right and wrong answers.
Scale of personal anxiety (PT)
Instruction. Read each of the following sentences carefully and cross out the number in the appropriate box on the right, depending on how you usually feel. Don't think too long about the questions, as there are no right or wrong answers.
Processing of results.
- Determination of indicators of situational and personal anxiety using the key.
- Based on the assessment of the level of anxiety, making recommendations for correcting the behavior of the subject.
- Calculation of the average group index of ST and LT and their comparative analysis depending, for example, on the gender of the subjects.
When analyzing the results of self-assessment, it should be borne in mind that the overall final indicator for each of the subscales can range from 20 to 80 points. At the same time, the higher the final indicator, the higher the level of anxiety (situational or personal). When interpreting the indicators, the following indicative estimates of anxiety can be used: up to 30 points - low, 31-44 points - moderate; 45 and higher.
Key
Rooms | ||||
… Each of us is more or less familiar with this feeling. It is important to know if your anxiety level within the limits of the norm or exceeds the permissible limits.
It is necessary for a person to experience anxiety for survival, because thanks to it, in dangerous circumstances, we become more attentive and cautious. However, when this sensation does not disappear and becomes a constant companion, the consequences can be unpleasant. If your anxiety level is off the charts, it's time to take action!
Quiz: What is your anxiety level?
This simple test can tell a lot about your inner state. Three scales psychological test evaluate your personality from three perspectives, including physical signs of anxiety, its manifestation in the intellectual sphere, and how anxiety is reflected in your behavior.
There are times when, depending on the circumstances anxiety level temporarily increases. Take a closer look at your inner state, and when you notice signs of anxiety, take action. An increased level of anxiety means that you need to re-prioritize your life, make some changes in it, and most importantly, think more about yourself: take care of yourself daily, pay attention and love to yourself, find joy in everyday life, feel happy every day etc.
And now we suggest you take an anxiety test. Get a piece of paper and a pencil ready.
1. Scale of cognitive symptoms
A) I find it difficult to concentrate.
- Never (0 points)
- Sometimes (2 points)
- Often (3 points)
- Always (4 points)
B) I am always more inclined to see the bad than the good in what surrounds me. When something is about to happen, it seems to me that something bad is bound to happen.
- Never (0 points)
- Sometimes (2 points)
- Often (3 points)
- Always (4 points)
c) I have memory problems.
- Never (0 points)
- Sometimes (2 points)
- Often (3 points)
- Always (4 points)
D) I often have gloomy thoughts.
- Never (0 points)
- Sometimes (2 points)
- Often (3 points)
- Always (4 points)
D) I find it difficult to make decisions. I tend to think long and hard about a problem.
- Never (0 points)
- Sometimes (2 points)
- Often (3 points)
- Always (4 points)
2. Scale of behavioral symptoms
- Never (0 points)
- Sometimes (2 points)
- Often (3 points)
- Always (4 points)
D) At the end of the day, I feel so tired that I don’t know if I can get up in the morning.
- Never (0 points)
- Sometimes (2 points)
- Often (3 points)
- Always (4 points)
E) I experience problems with sleep, I sleep badly, and during the day I can doze off unnoticed.
- Never (0 points)
- Sometimes (2 points)
- Often (3 points)
- Always (4 points)
E) Almost every day I have headaches or pain in the neck and back.
- Never (0 points)
- Sometimes (2 points)
- Often (3 points)
- Always (4 points)
results
0-18 points - no anxiety
It happens that some situations make you nervous, but otherwise your body's reactions to disturbing situations are within the normal range. Very good result.
19-36 points - low or moderate level of anxiety
Your score is within the acceptable range. Be careful: even though your anxiety level is moderate, you need to take a lot of care of yourself. If you don't set boundaries, you risk running into problems or overwhelming yourself.
We can say that your result is on the borderline of the norm, so always think about your health and control your emotions.
37-54 points - high level of anxiety
Attention! You have a very high level of anxiety. It's time for a change. Take a close look at your life. What needs to be revised? What aspects of your life need improvement? Measures must be taken, otherwise you are at great risk to your health.
If you ignore these signals, then in the future there may be serious health problems, as well as difficulties in the emotional sphere. Try to perceive life more calmly, learn, let others help you in solving difficult problems.
