ABOUT
Everyone experiences anxiety. Anxiety is normal and expected as children grow up, but anxiety can become unhealthy when it starts to get in the way of usual activities. Some anxious children tend to be overly tense or uptight and may seek a lot of reassurance, while other children with anxiety can be quiet or eager to please. Thus, parents should not ignore their child’s fears and should be on the look out for signs of anxiety so that they can help their child early on and avoid serious problems.

There are several different types of anxiety in children. Worries may center around:

Being away from parents (Separation Anxiety)
Nervousness about different areas of life such as school, family, social situations, health, natural disasters (Generalized Anxiety)
A specific thing or situation such as animals, needles, riding in elevators (Specific Phobia)
Interacting with other people (Social Anxiety)
Having sudden and severe episodes of intense anxiety (Panic Disorder)
Not speaking in certain social situations (Selective Mutism)
Leaving the house (Agoraphobia)

There is no single cause of anxiety problems. Things like genetics, a child’s personality (e.g., naturally cautious or shy children) and parenting style may play a role in whether a child will develop anxiety problems. If normal fears do not go away with time or begin to interfere with the child’s usual activities, parents should think about getting an evaluation from a child and adolescent psychologist or psychiatrist. Early treatment can prevent future difficulties, such as loss of friendships, poor school performance, and low self-esteem.

WHAT A PARENT WOULD NOTICE IN THEIR KEIKI

Children with anxiety problems may show some of the following signs:

Physical complaints (e.g., stomachaches, headaches, tension)
Restlessness
Refusal to go to school
Clinginess
Trouble sleeping
Few friends or staying away from social situations
Overly reserved, emotional, or uneasy in social settings
Repeating, bothersome thoughts (obsessions) or actions (compulsions)
Fears of embarrassment or making mistakes
Low self-esteem or lack of self-confidence

FACTS

About 25% of children will experience anxiety in their lifetime
About 6% of children will have “severe” anxiety problems in their lifetime
About 9% of youth served by the Hawaii Department of Health have an anxiety diagnosis
Girls are more likely to experience anxiety than boys
Children with anxiety problems often have additional challenges such as depression, eating disorders, and ADHD
Research shows that children with untreated anxiety problems are at higher risk of doing poorly in school, missing out on important social experiences, and abusing drugs or alcohol

VIDEOS ABOUT COMMON ANXIETY CONDITIONS

How can a parent determine if their child has an anxiety disorder? - Dr. Deborah Beidel, Professor of Psychology at the University of Central Florida and the Director of UCF Anxiety Disorders Clinic.

How can a parent determine if their child’s school refusal is more than typical levels? - Dr. Anne Marie Albano, Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology in Psychiatry at Columbia University and the Director of the Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders at Columbus Circle.

Have you ever wondered what Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) looks like? - Dr. John Piacentini, Professor of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences in the David Geffen School of Medicine and Director of the Child OCD, Anxiety, and Tic Disorders Program UCLA.