Anxiety in Patients with Serious Illness

Course Description 

Help clinicians identify and treat/manage anxiety that often complicates care.  

After completing this course, learners will be equipped with evidence-based strategies to identify and treat anxiety in patients living with a serious illness. 

*This course is free to ATS members. 

Target Audience

All critical care, sleep and pulmonary medicine professionals and physicians. 

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, the learners should be able to:

  • Define the prevalence of anxiety in patients with serious illness. 
  • Identify one anxiety assessment tool for patients with a serious illness. 
  • Review the four categories of medications used to treat anxiety in patients with a serious illness. 
  • Discuss the evidence for yoga, tai chi, and herbal supplements as complementary approaches for anxiety in patients with a serious illness. 
  • Distinguish between generalized anxiety disorder and adjustment disorder with anxious features. 

Supplemental Material

  • PDF 1-Pager link 
  • ATS Patient Education Documents link(s) 
  • ATS Journals 

Acknowledgment 

This course module was produced in collaboration with the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC). Activity of this course module is eligible for CME.  Click on the accreditation tab to see accreditation and registration information. 

Copyright Information 

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  • The materials are to be used solely for personal, noncommercial, informational and educational purposes. The materials are not to be modified. They are to be distributed in the format provided with the source clearly identified. Copyright information or other proprietary notices may not be removed, changed, or altered. 
  • Materials may not be published, uploaded, posted, transmitted (other than as set forth herein), without written permission from American Thoracic Society. 
Course summary
Available credit: 
  • 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)
    The American Thoracic Society designates this for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
  • 1.20 Participation
Publication Date: 
08/26/2025
Credit Expires: 
09/30/2026
Cost:
$237.00
Rating: 
0

Faculty

Brittany Chambers, MPH, MCHES 
Director of Health Equity and Special Initiatives 
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai 
New York, NY 

Disclosures 

Nothing to disclose


Constance Dahlin, MSN, ANP-BC, ACHPN, FPCN, FAAN 
Co-Director, Palliative APRN Externship; Adjunct Associate Professor for the University of Maryland,
Baltimore School of Pharmacy, PhD in Palliative
Baltimore, MD 

Disclosures 

Nothing to disclose 


Kesha Wall Graham, LISW-CP, APHSW-C, ACM 
Outpatient Clinical Social Worker 
Medical University of South Carolina 
Charleston, SC  

Disclosures 

Nothing to disclose 


Diane Meier, MD, FACP, FAAHPM  
Founder, Director Emerita and Strategic Medical Advisor, Center to Advance Palliative Care 
Co-director, Patty and Jay Baker National Palliative Care Center 
Professor, Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine 
Catherine Gaisman Professor of Medical Ethics 
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai 
New York, NY 

Disclosures

Employment  | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai 


Sean M. Marks, MD
Associate Professor, Clinical Cancer Center - Froedtert Hospital 
Medical College of Wisconsin 
Madison, WI 

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose 


Lolita Melhado, PhD., MSN, ARNP, FNP-BC, ACHPN 
Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, DNP Program 
Florida Gulf Coast University 
Fort Myers, FL 

Disclosures 
Nothing to disclose 


Sherika Newman, DO 
Founder, Doctor in the Family 
Atlanta, GA 

Disclosures 

Nothing to disclose 


Drew A. Rosielle, MD, FAAHPM 
Associate Professor, Departments of Family Medicine & Community Health and Internal Medicine  
University of Minnesota 
Minneapolis, MN 

Disclosures 

Nothing to disclose 


Michelle Turner, M.Ed., BBA 
Continuing Education Program Manager 
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai 
New York, NY 

Disclosures 

Nothing to disclose 


Evan Zazula, DMin, MAPCC 
Chaplain, Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine 
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai 
New York, NY 

Disclosures 

Nothing to disclose 


Planning Committee 

Angela Suen, MD 
Pulmonologist/Critical Care, Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) Program 
San Francisco, CA 

Disclosures 

Grant/Contract | NIH Office of the Director 
Intellectual Property |Review Article "Approach to Chronic Cough" 


Anna Gersten, MD 
Assistant Professor of Medicine 
John Hopkins School of Medicine Faculty 
Baltimore, MD 

Disclosures 

Nothing to disclose 


Lauren R. Pollack, MD, MS 
Faculty, Clinical Research 
University of Washington Medical Center 
Health Sciences Building 
Seattle, WA 

Disclosures 

Consultant| SimulConsult 


Michelle M. Milic, MD 
Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, Divisions of Pulmonary and Critical Care and Palliative Care Medicine 
MedStar Georgetown University Hospital 
Washington, D.C. 

Disclosures 

Nothing to disclose 


Brynn Bowman, MPA 
Chief Executive Officer, Center to Advance Palliative Care 
Assistant Professor, Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine 
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai 
New York, NY 

Disclosures 

Nothing to disclose 


Andrew E. Esch, MD, MBA  
Director, Palliative Care Program Development, Center to Advance Palliative Care 
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai 
New York, NY 

Disclosures 

Nothing to disclose 


Anand S. Iyer MD, MSPH 
Associate Professor, Medicine - Pulmonary, Allergy, & Critical Care Medicine 
UAB Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine and School of Nursing 
Birmingham, AL 

Disclosures 

Medscape, Verona Pharma | Speaking fee 
National Institute of Aging, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs | Grant/Contract 


Lynn F. Reinke, PhD, APRN, BC, ATSF 
Clinical Professor, College of Nursing 
The University of Utah 
201 Presidents Circle 
Salt Lake City, UT 

Disclosures 

Nothing to disclose 


Donald R. Sullivan, MD, MA, MRes 
Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine 
Co-leader, Cancer Prevention and Control Program, OHSU Knight Cancer Institute 
Associate Director, KL2 Program, Oregon Clinical and Translational Research Institute 
Portland, OR 

Disclosures 

Nothing to disclose 


Amy Skiba 
Executive Director, Lung Transplant Foundation 
Cary, NC 

Disclosures 

Nothing to disclose 


Carrie Smith, MS, CAE 
Chief Education Officer, Learning Education Programs 
American Thoracic Society 
New York, NY 

Disclosures 

Nothing to disclose  


Jennifer Siegel-Gasiewski, MPA 
Director of Lifelong Learning 
American Thoracic Society 
New York, NY 

Disclosures 

Nothing to disclose  


Suzette Machado, MPA, CHCP 
Associate Director, Accreditation of ATS Learning Programs 
American Thoracic Society 
New York, NY 

Disclosures 

Nothing to disclose 


It is the policy of the ATS to ensure independence, balance, objectivity, scientific rigor, and integrity in all of its continuing education activities. As an accredited CME provider, the ATS requires that its planners, reviewers and presenters comply with the ACCME Standards Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education.  The ATS also requires specific disclosure of relationships with companies and organizations associated with tobacco or cannabis and prohibits or limits participation of faculty in official ATS activities, including CME, if any tobacco industry relationship or some types of cannabis industry relationships is present. The most recent policies regarding potential conflicts of interest as well as the mechanisms to mitigate or resolve such conflicts can be found here: COI Policy for Official ATS Activities (thoracic.org) 

All relevant financial relationships have been reviewed and mitigated.

Discloser List CME Internal Report

Accredited Provider

Provided by the American Thoracic Society (ATS) 

Accreditation Statement – American Thoracic Society 

The American Thoracic Society is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.  

Physician Credit Designation (American Thoracic Society)   

The American Thoracic Society designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 1.0  AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.  



Disclosure Policy

It is the policy of the ATS to ensure independence, balance, objectivity, scientific rigor, and integrity in all of its continuing education activities. As an accredited CME provider, the ATS requires that its planners, reviewers and presenters comply with the ACCME Standards Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education.  The ATS also requires specific disclosure of relationships with companies and organizations associated with tobacco or cannabis and prohibits or limits participation of faculty in official ATS activities, including CME, if any tobacco industry relationship or some types of cannabis industry relationships is present. The most recent policies regarding potential conflicts of interest as well as the mechanisms to mitigate or resolve such conflicts can be found here: COI Policy for Official ATS Activities (thoracic.org) 

Planning committee members, faculty, reviewers, and activity staff have disclosed the following relevant financial relationships. All relevant financial relationships listed have been mitigated. 

Disclosure of Unlabeled Use: 

ATS and CAPC require CME faculty (speakers) to disclose when products or procedures being discussed are off label, unlabeled, experimental, and/or investigational, and any limitations on the information that is presented, such as data that are preliminary, or that represent ongoing research, interim analyses, and/or unsupported opinion. Faculty in this activity may discuss information about pharmaceutical agents that is outside of US Food and Drug Administration approved labeling. This information is intended solely for continuing medical education and is not intended to promote off-label use of these medications. ATS and CAPC do not recommend the use of any agent outside of the labeled indications. If you have questions, contact the Medical Affairs Department of the manufacturer for the most recent prescribing information.  

Available Credit

  • 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)
    The American Thoracic Society designates this for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
  • 1.20 Participation

Price

Cost:
$237.00
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If you are requesting AMA credits or a certificate of participation, your certificate will be available for download. 

CME Certificates of credit/attendance will be awarded based on the participant attending the activity, completing and submitting an evaluation and attesting to the credits earned. A CME certificate will be available upon successful completion.  

All other healthcare professionals completing this course will be issued a certificate of participation. 

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