3 - Childhood Anxiety Disorder

Abstract

Anxiety disorders are among the most common psychological disorders affecting children and youth. Commonly occurring disorders are generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic attack, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), specific phobia, social phobia, post-traumatic stress, and acute stress. The main symptoms of childhood anxiety are excessive tension, worry, fearfulness, apprehension, and concern about oneself and people and situations compared to someone of similar age and development, and are associated with severe impairment in functioning relative to such things as peer relationships, school activities, and a variety of routines and tasks. This chapter presents nine stories—three personal stories, five parental stories, and one professional story pertaining to anxiety disorder. Some themes within and across many of the stories include many factors that contribute to childhood anxiety, including genetics, temperament, psychosocial, and parental. The primary problems of children and youth regardless of the type of anxiety disorder is an unrealistic worry and a feeling of being out of control.