Anxiety in children is common. A distinction is made between abnormal anxiety and normal anxiety. In a sense, fear is a normal and even healthy phenomenon. The abnormal anxiety discussed in children concerns specific phobia, social anxiety disorder, separation anxiety, school refusal, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder.
What is fear?
Anxiety is a future-oriented emotion characterized by perceptions of lack of control and unpredictability in potentially threatening situations . So people are afraid of something that could happen in the future or that they think could happen. Someone who is afraid also has the feeling that they have no influence on the situation and that they have no idea what awaits them. Fear is a basic human emotion. It has an adaptive function by alerting someone to possible danger. Anxiety and children is part of normal development . Children who have no fear at all are even at risk. For example, if a child trusts everyone and is not afraid of anyone or anything, he or she might just walk along with someone he or she does not know.
This article discusses the following topics:
- Normal anxiety in children
- Abnormal anxiety
- Specific phobia
- Social anxiety disorder
- Separation anxiety
- School refusal
- Generalized anxiety disorder
- Panic disorder
- Obsessive compulsive disorder
Normal anxiety in children
- Children around 6 to 9 months often show fear of strangers.
- Children around the age of 2 show a fear of imaginary monsters
- Children around the age of 4 are afraid of the dark
- Older children and adolescents fear failure and judgment
- Fear of abandonment
The change in focus of fear reflects the child’s cognitive, social and emotional development. This means that the fears the child has match the developmental phase the child is in. For example , fear of negative assessment from others can only arise when a child is aware that others may judge them. On average, girls appear to show more anxiety than boys. However, the number and intensity of fears gradually decreases with age in all children.
Abnormal anxiety
Abnormal anxiety is anxiety that is inappropriate for the child’s developmental level and age. An anxiety disorder in children is then possible. To be diagnosed with a disorder related to anxiety, the child must be significantly bothered by the anxious feelings. Anxiety disorders are the most common disorders in children and adolescents. It is estimated that approximately 12 to 20% of school-age children have some form of anxiety disorder.
Specific phobia
A specific phobia is a persistent fear of a specific object or situation that is unusual or excessive. For example, a child can become extremely afraid of cats. The specific phobia occurs in both adults and children. A big difference is that a child often does not realize that the fear is not real. The specific phobia in children can manifest itself in the form of crying, shivering and/or ‘freezing’ when the child comes into contact with the feared situation. Children with a specific phobia try to avoid the object or event of fear. This not only limits the child’s activities but also affects the lifestyle and activities of the entire family. For example, a dog as a pet is an impossible task when a child is extremely afraid of dogs .
Social anxiety disorder
Social anxiety disorder is another name for social phobia . Characteristic of social anxiety disorder is the persistent fear of making a fool of oneself or failing in social situations and extreme shyness. Again, children do not always realize that the fear is unrealistic and exaggerated. An important difference between children with social anxiety disorder and certain developmental disorders such as autism is that children with social anxiety disorder do contact people they know without fear. Many children with social phobia downplay or deny their complaints in order to behave as they think is expected of them. Social anxiety disorder may arise from normal developmental fears, such as separation anxiety and fear of strangers .
Separation anxiety
Separation anxiety is an excessive fear of being separated from an important attachment figure or home. Young children who suffer from separation or separation anxiety behave very affectionately and follow their parents everywhere. They complain of unexplained physical problems (e.g., stomach ache or nausea), nightmares, and fear of loss. Older children are more likely to show apathetic and depressive symptoms. Estimates state that between 3 and 12% of young people have (had) fear of separation . The disorder is rare in adolescents and adults.
Fear of separation from parents is a common fear among children during the normal process of development. If a child is not more or less afraid of separation from the parents, this may even indicate a possible insecure attachment. However, the fear is problematic when the fear of separation persists beyond the expected age, or when the fear is very severe. Children diagnosed with separation anxiety have an increased risk of developing agoraphobia (fear of agoraphobia) later in life.
School refusal
Some children show severe anxiety about going to school. However, school refusal is not an official DSM disorder. School refusal often occurs after a stressful life event, such as death, illness, change of school or change of residence. Children with school refusal are absent from school with the knowledge of their parents. 70% of children’s phobias involve fear of school and school refusal.
Generalized anxiety disorder
Generalized anxiety disorder is characterized by excessive fear and anxiety that is difficult for the child to control. The anxiety behavior does not focus on just one event or situation, but is present in various situations and often without an identifiable stressful life event. Many children with generalized anxiety disorder are extremely concerned about performing and impressing others. These children constantly seek confirmation, exhibit nervous behavior (such as nail biting) and sleep poorly.
Panic disorder
Children with panic disorder have intense experiences of extreme fear, which come on suddenly and unexpectedly. This is called a panic attack . Such a panic attack usually lasts no longer than 10 minutes. It is difficult to find out whether the child’s panic attacks actually occur unexpectedly; children may not recognize the physical signs preceding a panic attack. When a child is older when he has panic attacks, he or she often becomes afraid of having another panic attack.
Obsessive compulsive disorder
Although many do not know this, people with obsessive compulsive disorder , also called compulsive disorder , revolve around fear. Obsessions are unwanted, repetitive, intrusive thoughts. Compulsions are repetitive, stereotypical behaviors that the child feels compelled to perform in order to limit anxiety. Children often know how to keep these complaints well hidden from the outside world. That is why parents often only notice this disorder when the complaints are very serious. Obsessive compulsive disorder often occurs at the same time as Tourette syndrome .
From an early age, the day revolves around rituals for children, such as going to bed and eating. When these routines and rituals are broken, many children lose their temper.