Anxiety In Children
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According to an editorial in The New England Journal of Medicine (Dec, 2008), anxiety disorders affect up to one in five U.S. children. According to the same study, many of those children not treated, due to the condition not being recognized for what it is. Delay in diagnosis and treatment has been shown to lead to depression, substance abuse and sub-standard academic performance throughout childhood and well into adulthood.
The symptoms of anxiety attacks can be seen in young children. Parents may tend to overlook the probable signs of anxiety attacks and children, which is definitely a big reason why kids with anxiety may be left untreated for many years. Anxiety during the pre-pubertal stage can be very harmful, since this stage is very critical for the development of your child.
Some Symptoms of Childhood Anxiety
- Trouble sleeping, or nightmares
- Extreme worries about sleeping away from home
- Tantrums or panic when separated from parents
- Needing lots of reassurance
- Worry about things before they happen
- Low self esteem and a lack of self-confidence
Also note if your child cries very often. Does she speak as fluently as she always did? Has she been urinating very frequently or sometimes wetting her bed? These can be crucial signs that your child is suffering needlessly from anxiety.
Some Common Children’s Anxieties
- Separation anxiety
- Specific Phobias – fear of the dark, thunder, lightning, dogs, insects, needles, etc.
- Social Anxieties such a fear of meeting or talking to people, avoiding social situations, meeting new people
Recent Research Into Anxiety In Children
A recent study (June, 2009) designed to prevent anxiety disorders in the children of anxious parents found that a family-based program reduced symptoms and the risk of developing an anxiety disorder among these children. The study was done by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.
The study suggests that as few as eight weekly family sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy go a long way to prevent or minimize the psychological damage of childhood anxiety. Results of the study appear in the June issue of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.
“If psychiatrists or family doctors diagnose anxiety in adult patients, it’s now clearly a good idea that they ask about the patients’ children and, if appropriate, refer them for evaluation,” says senior investigator Golda Ginsburg, Ph. D., a child psychologist at Hopkins Children’s and associate professor of psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. “Right now, most doctors don’t think about this, let alone broach the subject.”
Ginsburg says the research shows that the children of parents diagnosed with an anxiety disorder are up to seven times more likely to develop an anxiety disorder themselves, and up to 65 percent of children living with an anxious parent meet criteria for an anxiety disorder.
The Hopkins team studied 40 children between 7 and 12 not diagnosed with anxiety themselves but who had one or both parents diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Half of the children and their families were enrolled in an eight-week cognitive behavioral therapy, while the other half were put on a waiting list and received no therapy at the time of the study, but were offered therapy a year later.
Within a year, 30 percent of the children in the no-intervention group had developed an anxiety disorder, compared to none of the children who participated in the family-based therapy. Parents along with researchers who evaluated the children and their parents independently reported a 40-percent drop in anxiety symptoms in the year following the prevention program. There was no reduction of anxiety symptoms among children on the waiting list.
The parental behaviors modified with treatment included overprotection, excessive criticism and excessive expression of fear and anxiety in front of the children. The program targeted such childhood risk factors as avoiding anxiety-provoking situations and anxious thoughts.
Treating Anxiety in Children
Severe anxiety problems in children are treatable. Early treatment helps prevent future difficulties, such as loss of friendships, failure to reach social and academic potential, depression and feelings of low self-esteem. Treatments may include a combination of: psychotherapy, family therapy, medications, behavioral treatments, and consultation at school.
If anxiety interferes with your child’s usual activities, you should consider seeking an evaluation from a qualified mental health professional or a child and adolescent psychiatrist.
Summary
If you are a parent suffering from Anxiety or Panic, make sure that your child is not being effected. Discuss your child’s behavior with your physician. Taking care of yourself can do more to help your child than you may think!
If you notice the symptoms of anxiety in your child, don’t hesitate to ask her what’s going on. If you are not sure, have your child evaluated. Early treatment can prevent much distress later on.
This website cannot, and should not, stand alone as the sole medical or psychological intervention for any disorder. Any individual with a medical or psychological problem should first consult a qualified health care provider for diagnosis and professional advice. This website is intended only to provide general information and is not intended as an exhaustive source of information for the topics discussed. This website and these articles do not replace your relationship with any health care professional you are consulting with or consult with in the future.
