Introduction—Recent Advances in Understanding and Treating the Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders are the most common of the psychiatric disorders, with an estimated prevalence of 2% to 18% worldwide. Psychiatry is gradually progressing towards a clinical neuroscience with an improved understanding of the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders, an individualized approach to diagnosis and treatment of patients, and the potential for early disorder detection and prevention. Recently, there has been not only a growing literature on effective interventions for anxiety disorders, but also new proof of principle treatment studies based on laboratory research. Anxiety disorders are frequently discussed at international psychiatric conferences; however, the attention these disorders receive by researchers at large is often minimal compared with their overall contribution to the substantial clinical burden and economic costs of mental disorders. There are potential advantages for clinicians and researchers to convene for the purpose of reviewing recent advances in anxiety disorder research and to exchange ideas about future progress in this field. The Anxiety Disorders Association of America has sponsored highly productive meetings in the United States for many years as well as successful meetings in other countries. Positive outcomes from these meetings encouraged the initiation of an international conference series that centers specifically on anxiety disorders.