Introduction
Anxiety is a severe condition affecting many people in the world, including children. It is crucial to study and address anxiety disorders and their causes because it may help to prevent the prevalence of such conditions in young people and adults. Thus, the topic selected for the research is anxiety disorders in children. This paper aims at exploring why children may suffer from anxiety.
The report provides information about possible signs and symptoms of anxiety in young people and offers insight into possible treatment methods, including traditional and holistic approaches. Moreover, it features vital information about the potential causes of anxiety disorders in children, addressing the role of parents and the environment in the development of the symptoms. The paper concludes that family members should pay attention to young people’s behavior and well-being, as they can contribute to both the development of symptoms and the recovery of their child.
Anxiety Disorder in Children: Background Information
Anxiety disorders may be considered a significant concern, especially among young people. Creswell, Waite, and Cooper (2014) report that they are some of the most common conditions affecting children and adolescents, with a prevalence of up to around 30% during childhood. It is crucial to mention that anxiety is normal, as it is one of the cognitive, behavioral, and affective responses to danger in humans (Bhatia & Goyal, 2018).
However, anxiety can be considered excessive when it leads to impairment or significant emotional distress or is disproportional to the challenge associated with it. In children, some of the common anxiety disorders include social and specific phobias, generalized anxiety disorder, and separation anxiety disorder (Bhatia & Goyal, 2018). The less prevalent cases are post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and agoraphobia.
Notably, boys typically develop anxiety symptoms earlier than girls do. The signs typically occur between 7 and 12 years of age in males and around 13-19 in females (Ewing et al., 2015). Anxiety is also known for being more common for older individuals than younger ones. Notably, girls are found to respond to some nonpharmacological types of treatment better than boys do (Creswell et al., 2014). The possible approaches to treatment and their benefits will be discussed in detail below.
Possible Causes of Anxiety in Children
Studies report several possible factors leading to anxiety disorders in young people. One of the causes is emotional neglect, characterized by the cold or critical parenting style and intentional or unintentional overlook of the child’s need for attention (Ventola, Lei, Paisley, Lebowitz, & Silverman, 2017). Moreover, anxiety disorders may be caused by genetics, which means that if a family member has this condition, it is likely that children will inherit it (Smoller, 2016; Eley et al., 2015). It is crucial to mention that anxiety may be related to learned behaviors. For instance, if a parent worries about something, especially a child, excessively, the young person is also likely to develop a habit of worrying about life situations.
In general, parents and the environment play a significant role in the development of anxiety in children. For instance, Bhatia and Goyal (2018) report that, in today’s world, these factors have a crucial role in a child’s well-being because continual performance is considered key to success, which results in additional pressure. In the long run, parents’ expectations may be highly harmful to the young person’s development and mental health state, and the consequences can be as severe as suicide (Bhatia & Goyal, 2018). Moreover, as mentioned above, the anxious parenting style associated with overprotection, intrusiveness, and expressed anxiety, may lead to the signs of the disorder in young people (Eley et al., 2015). Thus, it is crucial for parents to pay attention to the aspects of both their behavior and children’s environment to prevent the signs of anxiety in them, as well as possible adverse outcomes.
Signs and Symptoms
There are some specific signs and symptoms of anxiety in children, which depend on the type of anxiety disorder a child has. For instance, young people having social anxiety may experience the need to seek admiration from others, be sensitive to criticism, and avoid being the center of attention (Inam, Mahjabeen, & Abiodullah, 2017). Moreover, children with anxiety may have panic attacks, nightmares about separation, and avoid places where escape may be challenging (Freidl et al., 2017).
It is crucial to mention that, unlike older individuals, children are unlikely to present for help individually; parents are usually the ones raising concerns about their well-being (Creswell et al., 2014). It means that adults should pay attention to the possible changes in young people’s behavior and consult a professional if concerns occur. The diagnosis of anxiety may be difficult due to the presence of non-specific symptoms, too. For instance, children having an anxiety disorder may show signs of headaches, restlessness, and difficulty concentrating (Freidl et al., 2017). These symptoms may occur due to other health-related causes and are not linked to anxiety disorders exclusively.
Notably, some children may show signs of anxiety while not having this disorder. It can happen because several medical conditions, including hyperthyroidism, may mimic the symptoms of anxiety disorders (Bhatia & Goyal, 2018). Moreover, it is crucial for medical professionals to distinguish between excessive worries, responses to stressors, and fears from developmentally appropriate ones. When the diagnosis is made, appropriate treatment methods should be selected to minimize the symptoms of anxiety in a child while ensuring that the chosen approach is not harmful to a young person.
It is crucial to note that if a child shows the signs of anxiety, they may not have them when they are older. Bhatia and Goyal (2018) report that childhood anxiety disorders are transitory, which means that it can be mitigated in the future. At the same time, the symptoms in young individuals may be persistent, and they may experience syndrome shifts, which means that they will show signs of the disorder from time to time. In some cases, the symptoms of anxiety disorders may become less present in the future with the development of secondary psychopathologies, including depression and substance use (Bhatia & Goyal, 2018). In any case, it is crucial to see a medical professional to prevent the possible development of adverse symptoms in a child in the future.
Treatment Methods
There are several approaches to the treatment of anxiety symptoms in children, including pharmacological and holistic ones. One of the commonly used and most effective methods is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Higa-McMillan, Francis, Rith-Najarian, and Chorpita (2016) report that this type of treatment is highly useful for mitigating the symptoms of anxiety.
Ewing et al. (2015) add that children are around nine times more likely to recover from the condition using CBT compared to those receiving other treatment methods. It is crucial to add that combining nonpharmacological approaches to pharmacotherapy may be useful for eliminating the symptoms in young people, too. For instance, the combination of CBT with sertraline has shown better results compared to CBT alone (Bhatia & Goyal, 2018). Evidently, nonpharmacological treatment methods are preferable for children, as they do not have side effects and are unlikely to be harmful to an individual. At the same time, pharmacotherapy can be employed in case the disorder is in the severe stage (Bhatia & Goyal, 2018). Thus, the choice of treatment methods for anxiety should depend on the particular patient and situation.
CBT is not the only nonpharmacological approach that can be used to eliminate the signs of anxiety disorders. Some other holistic approaches include relaxation training and coping self-talk (Ewing et al., 2015). These treatment methods allow children to gain the ability to feel more confident in stress-provoking situations and learn how to manage them better. Treatment methods may also depend on the type of anxiety disorder a young person has. For instance, for those suffering from social anxiety, CBT combined with social skills training may be highly effective, and children having the symptoms of OCD may benefit from OCD-specific CBT (Ewing et al., 2015). Generally, anxiety treatment should involve a generic or transdiagnostic CBT package, which aims at managing symptoms common for all anxiety disorders.
As for exclusively pharmacological methods, there are several medications that can be used for eliminating anxiety. For instance, the use of selected serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) is considered one of the most appropriate and effective approaches for the treatment of children, as it has a good safety profile (Creswell et al., 2014). At the same time, benzodiazepines, often used to treat anxiety symptoms in adults, are not recommended for using in young people due to possible adverse side effects. As mentioned above, the combination of pharmacological and nonpharmacological methods shows high effectiveness in the elimination of the signs of anxiety.
As anxiety may be closely related to the parenting style and adults’ attitude towards their children, parents may contribute to improving a child’s well-being, too. Khanna, Carper, Harris, and Kendall (2017) report that family members may become change-agents for young people. First, a positive change in the parenting style can be crucial for the improvements in a child’s well-being. The facts presented above reveal that parents should abstain from being overcontrolling or worrying about their child extensively. Second, family members can participate in CBT along with young people, discussing children’s symptoms with them and addressing their concerns (Higa-McMillan et al., 2016). Notably, both young people and their parents can participate in online CBT sessions as well as undergo therapy sessions simultaneously. Such an approach not only eliminates the signs of anxiety in children but also teaches parents how to avoid inappropriate upbringing methods.
Conclusion
The presented report reveals that anxiety is highly common in children; however, it may be difficult to diagnose it due to some non-specific symptoms. Parents should pay attention to their children’s behavior and well-being while being aware that the parenting style and the environment play a crucial role in a young person’s mental health state. Treatment methods for anxiety in children include CBT, SSRIs, and the combination of pharmacological and non-pharmacological ones. Moreover, the participation of family members may contribute to the child’s recovery positively.
References
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