Anxiety Disorders in Teens and Children
Explore information and articles on anxiety disorders in teens and children, as well as how Bradley REACH can help.
About Anxiety Disorders in Teens and Children
Anxiety disorders are common mental health conditions that can affect individuals of all ages, including teenagers and children. These disorders are characterized by excessive and persistent feelings of fear, worry, and apprehension that can interfere with a young person's daily life, social interactions, and overall well-being. Recognizing the signs, understanding the causes, and seeking appropriate support and treatment are crucial in helping teenagers and children effectively manage their anxiety disorders.
Types of Anxiety Disorders:
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Adolescents and children with GAD experience excessive worry and fear about a wide range of everyday situations and events. This ongoing anxiety is often disproportionate to the actual circumstances and can lead to physical symptoms such as restlessness, irritability, difficulty concentrating, muscle tension, and disturbed sleep.
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SAD manifests as an intense fear of social situations, particularly those involving unfamiliar people or potential scrutiny or judgment by others. Teenagers and children with SAD may feel self-conscious, be excessively worried about embarrassing themselves, and may avoid social interactions altogether.
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Specific phobias involve an intense and irrational fear of a particular object, situation, or activity. Common examples include fear of heights, animals, blood, or flying. These fears can significantly disrupt a child's life, causing avoidance behavior and distress when confronted with the feared object or situation.
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Separation anxiety disorder typically affects younger children and involves excessive fear or worry about being separated from attachment figures such as parents or caregivers. Children with this disorder may experience extreme distress when separated from their loved ones, leading to clinginess, refusal to go to school, nightmares, and physical complaints.
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Panic disorder involves recurrent, unexpected panic attacks characterized by intense fear and discomfort. Panic attacks often come without any obvious trigger and are accompanied by physical symptoms such as heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, trembling, and a sense of impending doom.
Causes and Risk Factors:
The development of anxiety disorders in teens and children is usually the result of a complex interplay of genetic, environmental, and psychological factors. Some common causes and risk factors include:
Genetics: A family history of anxiety or other mental health disorders can increase the likelihood of a child or teenager developing an anxiety disorder.
Brain Chemistry: Imbalances in certain neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), may contribute to the development of anxiety disorders.
Environmental Factors: High levels of stress, trauma, or adverse life experiences, such as abuse, neglect, or loss, can increase the risk of anxiety disorders in children and teens.
Personality Traits: Certain personality traits, such as being shy, perfectionistic, or overly self-critical, can make an individual more prone to anxiety disorders.
Family Dynamics: Parental overprotection, excessive criticism, or high levels of family conflict can contribute to the development of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents.
Treatment and Support:
Fortunately, anxiety disorders in teens and children are highly treatable, and early intervention can lead to positive outcomes. The following approaches are commonly used:
Therapy: Psychotherapies such as family therapy and cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) help individuals and families identify and challenge irrational thoughts, develop coping strategies, identify healthy and unhealthy family dynamics and gradually confront feared situations through exposure therapy.
Partial Hospitalization Programs: Partial programs can be an effective diversion from inpatient care and to support discharge (step down) from inpatient treatment. They incorporate telehealth into their program which allows patients to participate in the program while living safely at home. It makes it easy for families to play an active role in their teenager’s care.
Intensive Outpatient Programs: IOPs are ideal for adolescents who need more care than weekly outpatient appointments can provide. The IOP aims to help participants work on emotional and behavioral issues and prevent the need for higher levels of care.
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