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Anxiety‐related disorders: An overview
Author(s) -
Riordan Denise M,
Singhal Deepa
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of paediatrics and child health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.631
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1440-1754
pISSN - 1034-4810
DOI - 10.1111/jpc.14167
Subject(s) - medicine , anxiety , psychological intervention , affect (linguistics) , psychiatry , distress , context (archaeology) , population , clinical psychology , mental health , psychology , paleontology , environmental health , communication , biology
Anxiety‐related disorders are common in the child and adolescent population. They cause significant distress, which can affect social, emotional, family and academic functioning. They frequently present in general paediatric and primary care settings. Comprehensive assessment should include the child as well as parent and family functioning because anxiety‐related disorders in other family members are common and, if untreated, can affect outcomes for the child. There are good evidence‐based psychological interventions available, which should be the first line of treatment offered; accessing appropriate therapies for an adequate duration of treatment can, however, be challenging. Medication, particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, may have a role to play but should be used in the context of psychologically based therapies. Prevention of anxiety‐related disorders in childhood is a major public health issue. Prevention programmes are available and should commence in the antenatal period through infancy, early childhood and adolescence, promoting positive attachments and resilience.