Anxiety in childhood and adolescence
Promoting strategies to foster and care for the mental health of children and adolescents is fundamental to their individual and social development. There is no health without mental health, and mental health cannot be expected in adulthood if it was lacking in childhood.
Mental health should not be limited solely to mental disorders , but rather understood as a necessary and essential aspect of people's lives, shaped by their individual experiences. Paying attention to these experiences, especially in the early years of life, is crucial, as there is near unanimity regarding the significant impact they have on mental health in adulthood.
Many mental health issues are influenced by the environment and external factors. Multiple causes contribute to the development of mental health problems in childhood and adolescence: each child's temperament, parenting styles, family, life events, genetic, sociocultural, pre- and perinatal, and immunological factors, among many others.
Anxiety is one of the most common mental health problems
Anxiety is one of the most common mental health problems during childhood and adolescence. Between 10% and 20% of children and adolescents will experience anxiety at some point, making it a significant issue in this age group. If left untreated, it can have serious negative consequences for a child's or adolescent's normal development, affecting their social, academic, and family life.
When is anxiety helpful and when does it become a problem?
It is important to distinguish between normal anxiety, which serves an adaptive function, and anxiety that hinders a child's normal functioning and therefore requires consultation with a healthcare professional. Anxiety can become a disorder when intense fear or distress appears without any real danger, or if danger exists, its intensity or duration is disproportionate. These feelings are normal and necessary, and occur naturally during human development; that is, they are not synonymous with illness or disorders in themselves.
The causes, the way they manifest, and their adaptive functions evolve and diversify as the child grows. Therefore, the way anxiety disorders present themselves is determined by the stage of the child's development at which they appear. For example, fear of separation from parents or of very loud noises is normal during the first years of life; however, at age 12, it's worth paying attention to.
Thus, these normal fears or experiences will become a problem, constituting a disorder, when their form of presentation is exaggerated, when they no longer fulfill an adaptive function, but interfere with the quality of life of minors, hindering their normal functioning and development.
| Normal anxiety | Anxiety as a problem |
| These are infrequent episodes that don't significantly impact a child's or adolescent's daily life. They are mild and short-lived, so any discomfort they cause is temporary and appropriate to the situation. These reactions are expected and common. For example, feeling a little nervous before an exam is normal and necessary anxiety, as it helps us perform better and even concentrate more effectively. | Repeated episodes of high intensity and duration. The resulting distress is problematic and persistent, to the point that sometimes the cause is unknown. It interferes with daily life. For example: avoidance of situations, intense anxiety and debilitating fear, mood swings, increased irritability… |
What are the most common anxiety disorders in childhood and adolescence?
- Separation anxiety: distress when the child has to separate from the parents or caregivers (for example, when going to sleep, to school, on an excursion...).
- Generalized anxiety disorder: excessive anxiety or worry about a large number of events, persistent, occurring most days for several weeks in a row, and with difficulty in self-control.
- Phobic anxiety disorders: persistent and recurrent fear, which is not necessarily unusual for their age, but is characterized by a very high intensity, interfering with daily activities for more than four weeks. The key to phobias is avoidance; for example, not wanting to go to school (school phobia), avoid contact with other people (social phobia), or avoid places from which it might be difficult or embarrassing to escape (agoraphobia).
- Panic disorder: characterized by unexpected and recurrent panic attacks, with intense discomfort or fear of sudden onset, and physical symptoms such as shortness of breath and tingling in the extremities. They typically last around 10 minutes at their peak intensity.
- Others: Obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, selective mutism…
What might a child or teenager with anxiety notice or feel?
You may notice physical things, such as your heart beating very fast, or mental things, such as difficulty concentrating or changes in behavior, as well as difficulty relating to others.
We can then group the symptoms into these three groups.
- Mental or cognitive: the child or adolescent appears fearful, timid and shy, nervous, apprehensive, complaining, stressed, worried, frustrated, distracted and with difficulty concentrating.
- Behavioral or conduct-related: the child or adolescent appears restless, clinging to the adult, dependent, reserved, reluctant to act, avoidant, indecisive, or unwilling to do anything.
- Bodily or physical symptoms: your heart is beating very fast, you have difficulty breathing, sweating, stiffness, headache, dizziness.
What can be done to prevent anxiety or to make them feel better?
- Healthy and balanced diet .
- Get enough sleep . Ensure you get a few hours of restful sleep to be prepared for each day's challenges; treat it like a prescription.
- Exercise daily. Increase your daily activity.
- Organize your tasks and activities well. Leave time every day for enjoyable activities.
- Plan breaks and rest periods throughout the day.
- Confront and try to resolve problems as soon as possible. Don't leave them for later.
- Improve self-esteem : Give them small gifts when they achieve their goals.
- Assertive communication with others.
- Practice relaxation or mindfulness techniques.
We all experience anxiety at some point in our lives; the key is to confront it and find solutions. If a child or teenager expresses anxiety, or if those around them notice changes, it should never be trivialized. Phrases like "Come on...it's nothing!" or "Calm down!" can actually increase their anxiety and make them feel guilty.
If anxiety interferes with and hinders a child's or adolescent's normal functioning—whether in their health, relationships with friends and family, or at school—a professional should be consulted. Addressing it is crucial to prevent it from becoming a problem. There is no health without mental health; let's help children and adolescents take care of it.
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