Children and Teens: Anxiety Disorders

Many adults suffer from anxiety. However, they are not alone. Children and teens can suffer from anxiety disorders, too. Starting school, moving to a new home or environment, or the loss of a parent, death in the family are among the stressful events that can trigger the onset of an anxiety disorder. But a specific stressor need not be the entire cause of this indicator, it could be something else. As indicated by research, children whose anxiety disorders are left untreated are at a high risk of the following:

• performing poorly in school: kids suffering from anxiety have less likelihood of studying or focusing on school activities

• having less developed social skills: kids suffering from anxiety usually isolate themselves from others.

• being more vulnerable to substance abuse: kids suffering from anxiety have low tolerance and can easily be influenced by negative factors.

Children can develop any of the recognized anxiety disorders. Some disorders are more common in early childhood. Some occur during a specific stage of development. Children about 6 to 9 years old are more prone to separation anxiety disorders. This is also the stage where specific phobias are more common. Middle childhood and adolescence are the stages where we define our social roles. This is also the stage where generalized anxiety disorder or GAD and social anxiety disorder are more common. Similarly, adolescents may suffer from panic disorder. As with adults, depression has a high rate of morbidity or death rate in children, teenagers in particular.

Children experience the symptoms of anxiety in as much the same way as adults do. Their display of and their reactions to the symptoms vary, though. This inconsistency can lead to difficulties in diagnosis. Likewise, it is difficult to determine if a child’s behaviour is something that will pass after a period, or it could eventually become a disorder.