Anxiety disorders are some of the most common mental health conditions today.
7.1% of children aged 3-17 years have an anxiety diagnosis.(1) And it's estimated that 30% of children and adolescents will have an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives.(2)
Anxiety disorders can develop at any age, though we know that half of mental health disorders begin in childhood. While both children and adults can struggle with an anxiety disorder, there are some key differences in how these disorders present themselves.
Read on for the distinctions.
What Are The Similarities Between Anxiety Disorders in Children and Adults?
First, let’s look at the similarities between childhood and adult anxiety.
Both children and adults with an anxiety disorder often experience: (3)
· Excessive worrying
· Feeling restless, irritable, or uneasy
· Physical symptoms like a racing heart, headaches, or stomach aches
· Trouble sleeping
· Difficulty focusing
Each individual will have different symptoms, and some people may experience only a few of these symptoms while others may experience many. Anxiety symptoms also differ across the various types of anxiety disorders.
What Are The Different Types of Anxiety Disorders?
Anxiety disorders are generally characterized by excessive fear or worry. Here are some of the most common disorders: (4)
· Generalized Anxiety Disorder
· Phobias
· Panic Disorder
· Social Anxiety Disorder
· Separation Anxiety Disorder
· Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
· Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Adults and children can both develop these types of anxiety disorders. So how does anxiety manifest itself in children?
What Does Childhood Anxiety Look Like?
There are a few key distinctions between adults and children when it comes to anxiety disorders.
Childhood anxiety vs. adult anxiety involves differences in:
· How children process their anxiety
· Diagnostic criteria
· The symptoms children exhibit
· The prevalence of certain disorders at specific ages
What Are The Developmental Differences?
Perhaps the biggest difference between adults and children is that children have not finished developing. Unlike adult brains, children's brains are still growing and thus, children are still learning how to process the world around them.
Because children's cognitive functioning has not completely developed, children may not be able to identify or understand the source of their anxiety. They just know that they feel scared or uncomfortable. They can also have a difficult time communicating how they feel to others.
How Does Diagnosis of Anxiety Differ in Children?
The DSM-5 includes diagnostic criteria for the different anxiety disorders. Children must meet different diagnostic criteria than adults to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.
For example, to be diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, children only need to meet one of the six symptoms listed below, whereas adults need three of the six: (5)
· Restlessness
· Easily fatigued
· Difficulty concentrating
· Irritability
· Muscle aches
· Trouble sleeping
What Are The Signs of Anxiety in Children?
Some signs of an anxiety disorder in children include: (6)
· Frequent crying
· Emotional outbursts and tantrums
· Having difficulty concentrating in school
· Nightmares
Some of these symptoms may also be present in adults, but are more often seen among children. Because children have a harder time communicating and managing their emotions, they can become overwhelmed, angry, and emotionally dysregulated more easily than adults.
You know how children can get when you tell them, "no?" It's like someone swapped your sweet, well-behaved child for a pint-sized crocodile.
When it comes to anxiety, the same thing can happen. One second, they're fine, the next they're melting down because they can't find their favorite toy.
They may lack the skills to identify how they feel, the words to express their anxiety, and the coping strategies to deal with these uncomfortable feelings. Thus, they may act out in anger or defiance. A child who seems to be exhibiting disruptive behavior in school may actually be struggling with an undiagnosed anxiety disorder.
A child with obsessive-compulsive disorder, who has to complete certain rituals to alleviate their intense anxiety, may have their behavior misconstrued as being disobedient or oppositional.
Anxiety in children can manifest in a multitude of ways, which is why an evaluation by a mental health professional is the best way to determine an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
Are There Differences Among Disorders?
Some anxiety disorders are also more common among children than adults.
For instance, while some adults may be diagnosed with separation anxiety disorder, it is more often seen in young children. Separation anxiety is actually a normal part of development until about the age of three. (7) After three years old, if a child continues to struggle with separating from caregivers, they may have separation anxiety disorder.
A child with separation anxiety can have a lot of trouble being away from their parents, even at school. They may cry and cling to their parents when it's time to go, have nightmares about being separated from them, or repeatedly ask if they are going to be okay.
What Does Adult Anxiety Look Like?
Unlike children, adults are more likely to be able to identify the source of their anxiety. Adults are generally aware of their anxious thoughts and feelings and can put them into words.
Additionally, because adult brains have fully developed, adults are better able to recognize cognitive distortions and regulate their emotions.
Well, at least most of the time. Adults can get emotionally dysregulated too—otherwise road rage wouldn't exist.
But in general, adults are better at understanding and managing their emotions.
Summarizing Key Differences Between Anxiety in Adults and Anxiety in Children
While anxiety often looks similar across adults and children, it’s important to know when it can be different.
The major differences in anxiety disorders between children and adults are:
· Children are still learning how to process the world around them, while adults have a more developed cognitive functioning
· Children may not be able to identify the source of their anxiety, while adults are generally more aware of their anxious thoughts and feelings
· Children's symptoms may include behavior that doesn’t immediately look like anxiety, such as emotional outbursts, anger, and tantrums
· The DSM has different criteria for diagnosing anxiety disorders in children and adults.
· Some disorders are more prevalent at certain developmental stages
What Should You Do When You Think Your Child Needs Anxiety Treatment?
If you think your child is struggling with anxiety, seeking professional help is recommended. As a chronic condition, anxiety is not likely to go away on its own.
But support is available. If you’re not sure where to start, your pediatrician can provide a referral to a therapist or psychologist who specializes in anxiety disorders.
The type of treatment depends on the specific anxiety disorder, but the first line of treatment is often cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT helps children learn how to identify and manage their anxious thoughts and feelings. In structured sessions, children are given the tools to recognize their cognitive distortions and learn how to respond to them in a healthy way.
How I Help Children with Anxiety
As a clinical child psychologist who is an anxiety disorder specialist, I've worked with children with anxiety for years. I understand how anxious children think. And I encourage parents to seek expert guidance from a child psychologist first, before turning to medication for anxiety treatment.
My goal is to help children understand their thoughts and feelings and develop healthy coping skills that will serve them for a lifetime.
Are you looking for more information on how to support your child with anxiety? Be sure to sign up for my newsletter to get regular tips and resources, directly to your inbox.
References