Specific targets of fear and anxieties (e.g., strange people, other animals, contaminants) emerge at specific stages of development, and their order of appearance is surprisingly stable among children from vastly different social and cultural environments, ranging from nomadic tribes to large cities.2
The results of this meta-analysis are consistent with an evolutionary view of anxiety as a normal adaptive response, with different threats at different stages of life.2
ICD-11=International Classification of Diseases – 11th revision; SAD=social anxiety disorder; SP=specific phobia/separation anxiety disorder; GAD=generalized anxiety disorder; OCD=obsessive-compulsive disorder
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