Which model posits multiple interacting factors contributing to anxiety risk?

Which model posits multiple interacting factors contributing to anxiety risk?

• A. A unitary model.
• B. A deterministic model.
• C. A single-factor model.
• D. A multifactorial model posits multiple interacting factors.

Answer: (D)

Anxiety risk comes from many influences that influence and reinforce each other. The multifactorial model captures this by proposing that multiple factors—genetic susceptibility, brain biology, temperament, past experiences, cognitive biases, and current environmental stressors—interact to increase risk. This approach fits with real-world evidence showing gene–environment interactions and how multiple domains shape anxiety, not just one cause or a fixed outcome. In contrast, a unitary or single-factor model would attribute risk to a single cause, and a deterministic model would imply outcomes are fixed by one factor alone. Because anxiety arises from the interplay of several factors, the multifactorial model is the best description.

Anxiety risk comes from many influences that influence and reinforce each other. The multifactorial model captures this by proposing that multiple factors—genetic susceptibility, brain biology, temperament, past experiences, cognitive biases, and current environmental stressors—interact to increase risk. This approach fits with real-world evidence showing gene–environment interactions and how multiple domains shape anxiety, not just one cause or a fixed outcome. In contrast, a unitary or single-factor model would attribute risk to a single cause, and a deterministic model would imply outcomes are fixed by one factor alone. Because anxiety arises from the interplay of several factors, the multifactorial model is the best description.