The state of anxiety treatments for adolescents and adults down syndrome: Results from a scoping rapid review

Abstract

Adolescents and adults with Down syndrome are noted to display symptoms consistent with various anxiety disorders. While evidenced-based practices, including psychotherapies and psychopharmacology, exist and effectively treat anxiety in neurotypical populations, less is known about anxiety treatments for persons with Down syndrome. A scoping rapid review was conducted in April 2023 to determine what treatments are being used to target anxiety in adolescents and adults with Down syndrome, the quality of those treatments, and their alignment with current evidence-based practices. A total of eleven articles, primarily single case or case series, published between 1981 and 2022 were identified targeting adolescents and adults with Down syndrome diagnosed with specific phobias, selective mutism, generalized anxiety disorder, agoraphobia with panic, and non-specific anxiety symptoms. Interventions used most often aligned with evidence-based anxiety treatment guidelines and included psychotherapy, complementary and alternative medicine, and psychopharmacology. While most studies reported positive treatment responses showing reductions in anxiety symptoms post-treatment, the quality and generalizability of the studies was primarily poor. More rigorous research evaluating the effects of treatment for anxiety symptoms in the DS population are needed to develop guidelines to address anxiety disorders in this vulnerable population.

Keywords

• Down syndrome
• Anxiety
• Evidence-based treatment
• Adults
• Adolescents