Academic

Healthy Mind and Body, 450-01

Brittany Barney and Malik Gregory

Outline

What is anxiety? How does it begin? How anxiety contributes to

academics The production of fear and

anxiety How test anxiety develops

Understanding anxiety Treatment/seeking help Coping/overcoming

academic anxiety Effects of anxiety Relationship between anxiety

& performance Before, during, and after the

test

What Is Anxiety?

Americans

Anxiety

18% of Americans are diagnosed with some form of anxiety 40 million people

Anxiety is a physical response that communicates with the brain, allowing us to be aware of our surroundings. Effects behavior and feelings Triggered by stress Involves worrying or uneasiness of a

situation

How Does Anxiety Begin?

Adrenalin is released and dopamine levels decrease heightened attention to anxiety

source

Triggers fight or flight response

Normal anxiety should not be viewed negatively. Helps influence human beings

to accomplish goals

Diagnosed as a disorder when symptoms become more frequent and chronic

How Anxiety Contributes To Academics

Test Anxiety: type of performance anxiety

that a person experiences when their expectations of their performance are set to a high standard.

Ball State and Purdue University The Scholastic Aptitude Test

168 undergraduate students

(Cassady, J., & Johnson, R, 2002)

Alemán-Gómez, Y., Melie-García, L., & Valdés-Hernández, P., 2006

Amygdala: communicates with other parts of the brain that process incoming signals

Hippocampus: encodes threatening events into memories

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_zPXYxKEBk

The Production of Fear and Anxiety

How Test Anxiety Develops

Genetics family history

Brain Chemistry Chemical imbalance of

neurotransmitters prevents nerve cells from receiving

vital information

Negative thoughts

Environment Competition Stressors

Understanding Anxiety

Test anxiety can hinder someone tremendously

Overall, anxiety is normal Anxiety can either be good

or bad Identify the source of the

anxiety & try to effectively deal with it

Treatment/ Seeking Help

Medication (Prescription Drugs) Antidepressants Anti-anxiety drugs Beta-blockers SSRIs Tricyclics MAOIs

Therapy Psychotherapy

talking with a mental health professional to identify the type of anxiety and the symptoms correlating with that particular type of anxiety.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Cognitive Changing the

thinking patterns Behavioral Changing the

reaction to anxiety

Coping/Overcoming Academic Anxiety

Mind-Body Relaxation Deep Breathing Progressive muscle

relaxation Imagery Cognitive approach Meditation

Mental Preparation Realistically evaluating the

significance of an exam or presentation

Meditation; mental relaxation

Confidence & Positively thinking

Visualization

Effects of Anxiety

Physiological Rapid heart rate, sweating, knot in

stomach, headache

Behavioral Indecisive about answers, unable to

organize thoughts, going blank

Psychological Feelings of nervousness, restless, low

confidence

Relationship between Anxiety & Performance

Before the Test

Avoid cramming & procrastination Ask important questions Pay close attention to what the

professor goes over a lot in class Test yourself Eat a healthy breakfast Be on time Come into the testing room with

confidence Stay positive & positively

visualize success

During the Test Use test taking strategies &

continue with confidence Read the directions & questions

carefully Read the directions & questions

more than once Pace yourself Look through the test before

attacking it Remember to relax and stay

positive throughout the whole test

After the Test

Completely forget about the test Be happy that the test is over Relax completely after taking the

test Staying positive after taking the

test Positively visualize success as an

outcome of taking the test

Sources

Academic Anxiety Syndrome and Its Treatment by Anxiety Task Force. (n.d.). Smart Family System. Retrieved November 10, 2013, from http://smartfamilysystem.com/academic_anxiety_syndrome.html

Alemán-Gómez, Y., Melie-García, L., & Valdés-Hernández, P. (2006, November 7). Individual Brain Atlas Process. IBASPM:Individual Brain Atlases using Statistical Parametric Mapping Software. Retrieved November 20, 2013, from http://www.thomaskoenig.ch/Lester/ibaspm.htm

Anxiety Disorders. (n.d.). National Institute of Mental Health. Retrieved November 18, 2013, from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders/index.shtml

Anxiety Disorders: Types, Causes, and Symptoms. (n.d.). ReachOut Blog. Retrieved November 20, 2013, from http://us.reachout.com/facts/factsheet/anxiety-disorders-types-causes-and-symptoms

Cassady, J., & Johnson, R. (2002). Cognitive Test Anxiety And Academic Performance. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 27(2), 270-295.

Cornell University. (n.d.). Understanding Academic Anxiety. Retrieved November 22, 2013, from Cornell University: http://lsc.cornell.edu/Sidebars/Study_Skills_Resources/anxiety.pdf

Debra Clough-Stokan, S. H. (n.d.). Academic Anxiety Syndrome and It's Treatment By Anxiety Task Force. Retrieved November 22, 2013, from Smart Family System: http://smartfamilysystem.com/academic_anxiety_syndrome.html

Edlin, G., & Golanty, E. (2010). Mental Health and Mental Illness. Health & wellness (10th ed., p. 73). Sudbury, Mass.: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

Facts & Statistics. (n.d.). Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA. Retrieved November 18, 2013, from http://www.adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics

Nordqvist, C. (2009, February 10). "What is Anxiety? What Causes Anxiety? What To Do About It.." Medical News Today. Retrieved fromhttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/7603.

Sources Continued

Stanford University Medical Center (2009, December 30). Brain scans show distinctive patterns in people with generalized anxiety disorder. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 22, 2013, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2009/12/091207164850.htm

Stress and anxiety. (n.d.). Medline Plus. Retrieved October 9, 2013, from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003211.htm

Study Skills Library. (n.d.). Student Academic Services. Retrieved November 22, 2013, from Cal Poly: http://www.sas.calpoly.edu/asc/ssl/testanxiety.html

Test Anxiety. (2006, October 23). Retrieved November 22, 2013, from Minnesota State University Mankato: http://www.mnsu.edu/counseling/students/tanxiety.html

Test Anxiety. (n.d.). Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA. Retrieved November 20, 2013, from https://www.adaa.org/living-with-anxiety/children/test-anxiety

Test Anxiety. (n.d.). TeensHealth. Retrieved October 30, 2013, from http://kidshealth.org/teen/homework/tips/test_anxiety.html

The National Institute of Mental Health. (n.d.). Anxiety Disorders. Retrieved November 22, 2013, from The Natioanl Institute of Mental Health: http://www.nimh.nih.gov//index.shtml

Understanding Academic Anxiety. (n.d.). Cornell University Learning Strategies Center. Retrieved October 9, 2013, from http://lsc.cornell.edu/Sidebars/Study_Skills_Resources/F13%20updated%20pdfs%20of%20study%20skills%20resources/Understanding%20Academic%20Anxiety.pdf

What Are Anxiety Disorders? (n.d.). Global Medical Education. Retrieved November 22, 2013, from http://www.gmeded.com/gme-info-graphics/what-are-anxiety-disorders