Introducing you to? Anxiety disorders in children
Anxiety, in the context of mental disorders, is described by Miller (1983) as a “dysphoric, aversive feeling, similar to fear, that arises without any obvious threat” at a given time. Among its physiological and behavioural symptoms, the most common in children are difficulty concentrating, irritability, restlessness, distress in social situations, school refusal, excessive worry and over-concern about past or future events and about their own capacities, phobia, panic attacks and obsessions or compulsions. The main categories of anxiety disorders, as stated by the American Psychiatric Association, are:
Separation anxiety disorder, which is probably the most usual anxiety disorder found in children. It refers to excessive anxiety regarding separation from home or from important people in the child’s life. Commonly the child’s reaction and anxiety level is not adequate to her developmental stage. For instance, the child may feel apprehension and have nightmares involving separation or harm occurring to loved ones, reluctance to go to school or to go anywhere away from home and inability to be alone.
Generalized anxiety disorder which is by definition “exaggerated or uncontrollable anxiety or worry about events”, being characterized by self-consciousness, exaggerated worry about past/future events (like a school examination) and anxiety about capacity and competence.
Specific phobia is a category of anxiety disorders marked by profound fear of a specific object (eg. dogs) or situation, to which the child will over-react and behave out of proportion to the demands of the situation. The intense anxiety leads to avoidance behaviours, but if exposed to the phobic stimulus, the children may have a severe panic attack. A specific type of this category is Social phobia, present when there is strong anxiety if the child has to endure social or performance events (like speaking for an audience or go to a crowded place).
Panic attack (or if recurrent, Panic Disorder) is a period in which there is a sudden onset of intense fear or terror, with physiological symptoms such as palpitations, chest pain, difficulty breathing and choking, nausea or abdominal distress, dizziness, lightheaded, faint or unsteady feeling. These symptoms peak within 10 minutes, and often carry on within 20 to 30 minutes.
Post-traumatic stress disorder occurs when there’s persistent re-experiencing of traumatic stress events (eg. death of a loved one). That usually leads to avoidance of thoughts or conversations associated with the trauma. The symptoms are difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, irritability or anger outbursts, excessive vigilance and exaggerated startle response. Acute disorder is similar to post-traumatic stress disorder, but occurs immediately following the event. The child experiences intense fear, helplessness, or horror.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is characterized by obsessions (persistent thoughts or impulses) and compulsions (like rituals). Common obsessions involve contamination by germs, violent images and harm upon themselves or their families, sexual or religious thoughts and doubts about their surroundings or reality. Compulsions usually involve ordering, counting and checking things, watching or performing rituals and requesting reassurance. These symptoms occur for more than one hour a day and interfere with the daily routine.
Sources:
Dadds, M., Seinen, A., Roth, J. & Harnett, P. (2000). Early intervention for anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. Vol. 2 in R. Kosky, A. O’Hanlon, G. Martin & C. Davis (Series Eds.), Clinical approaches to early intervention in child and adolescent mental health. Adelaide: The Australian Early Intervention Network for Mental Health in Young People.
http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/welcome/conditions/Anxiety_Disorders.html
Written by Freackles
