Anxiety - Children in Tennessee

Tennessee

Occasional anxiety is a normal part of life. However, when a child does not outgrow their fears and worries or when anxiety starts interfering with school and other activities, they might have an anxiety disorder. There are a variety of anxiety disorders, such as separation anxiety, general anxiety, phobias and social anxiety. 

There are many symptoms of anxiety in children, including being tense or uptight, seeking reassurance and feeling restless or on edge. These symptoms can interfere with work and school performance and can make it challenging to maintain healthy relationships with peers and parents. This list of symptoms is not exhaustive as symptoms can vary depending on the anxiety disorder and the child. The difficulties experienced by some children who have anxiety may be easier to miss because the child may be less talkative and eager to please adults.

The prevalence of anxiety is higher among:

• Older children ages 12-17 compared with younger children. 
• Children who experience racial or ethnic discrimination compared with those who do not. 
• Children with more adverse childhood experiences compared with those without or with fewer traumatic experiences.

Anxiety in children can be addressed by talking to a pediatrician or child mental health professional. With a health care provider’s guidance, a child can receive cognitive behavioral therapy, which is considered an effective treatment for managing anxious thoughts and behaviors. Anti-anxiety or antidepressant medications may also help to minimize symptoms in children. 

Moreover, parents and teachers should be aware of the signs of anxiety and talk to children about potential stressors such as social media use and pressure to succeed in school.

Healthy People 2030 has multiple goals related to anxiety in children, including increasing the proportion of children and adolescents who get appropriate treatment for anxiety or depression and who get preventive mental health care in school.

Anderson, Ashaunta T., Lewis Luartz, Nia Heard-Garris, Keith Widaman, and Paul J. Chung. 2020. “The Detrimental Influence of Racial Discrimination on Child Health in the United States.” Journal of the National Medical Association 112 (4): 411–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnma.2020.04.012.

Elmore, Amanda L., and Elizabeth Crouch. 2020. “The Association of Adverse Childhood Experiences With Anxiety and Depression for Children and Youth, 8 to 17 Years of Age.” Academic Pediatrics 20 (5): 600–608. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2020.02.012.