M1 Psychology

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Anxiety Disorders in Children

Types of Anxiety Disorders:

Anxiety disorders in children can take several forms, each with its own distinct characteristics:

  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Children with GAD often experience excessive worry and fear about various aspects of life, including school, family, and their own competence.
  • Social Anxiety Disorder: This involves intense fear and avoidance of social situations, such as speaking in public, making friends, or participating in group activities.
  • Specific Phobias: Children may develop specific fears of objects, animals, or situations, like heights, spiders, or flying, which can lead to significant distress.
  • Separation Anxiety Disorder: More common in younger children, separation anxiety results in extreme distress when separated from parents or caregivers.
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): OCD is characterized by recurring, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions) aimed at reducing the distress associated with these thoughts.

 Symptoms:

Children with anxiety disorders can display a wide range of symptoms, which may include:

  • Excessive worry or fear about a range of everyday events.
  • Physical symptoms like restlessness, muscle tension, and sweating.
  • Irritability, mood swings, or a tendency to be easily startled.
  •  Sleep disturbances, including difficulty falling asleep or frequent nightmares.
  • In younger children, anxiety may manifest as physical complaints, such as stomachaches or headaches.

 Causes and Risk Factors:

Anxiety disorders in children often result from a combination of factors1, including:

  • Genetics: A family history of anxiety disorders can increase a child’s susceptibility.
  • Environmental Factors: Stressful or traumatic life events can contribute to anxiety.
  • Temperament: Some children have a naturally anxious temperament, making them more prone to developing anxiety disorders.

Impact on Development:

Anxiety can significantly hinder a child’s development and daily life. It can lead to:

  • Avoidance behaviors, which can affect school attendance and participation in activities.
  • Difficulty concentrating and learning, potentially impacting academic performance.
  • Challenges in forming and maintaining social relationships, which are crucial for development.

 Diagnosis and Assessment:

Diagnosis of anxiety disorders in children is typically conducted by a mental health professional. This may involve:

  • Clinical interviews with the child and parents.
  • Use of standardized questionnaires to assess the severity of anxiety.
  •  Observations of the child’s behavior in various situations.

Psychological Treatment Options for children anxiety disorder include Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)2:

CBT helps children learn coping strategies, challenge irrational thoughts, and gradually confront their fears in a controlled manner.

Parental Support:

Parents play a vital role in helping children manage anxiety. Supportive strategies can include:

  • Educating themselves about the condition to better understand their child’s struggles.
  • Creating a supportive, open, and low-stress home environment.
  • Encouraging exposure to feared situations, guided by a therapist’s recommendations.

 School and Social Support:

Collaboration between parents, teachers, and school counselors is essential to accommodate a child’s needs in an educational setting. This might involve creating a supportive plan and fostering a classroom environment that reduces anxiety triggers.

Early recognition and intervention are crucial in helping children overcome anxiety and lead healthy, fulfilling lives. With appropriate treatment and support, many children with anxiety disorders can successfully manage their condition and lead fulfilling lives. Early intervention is key to preventing long-term impacts on their mental health.

Author: Linh Nguyen, B Psychology (Hons)

Linh is a clinical psychologist at Vision and M1 Psychology. Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Psychological Science (Hons), and she has just completed her Postgraduate Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology.

To make an appointment with Linh Nguyen try Online Booking. Alternatively, you can call M1 Psychology Loganholme on (07) 3067 9129

References

  1. Beesdo, K., Knappe, S., & Pine, D. S. (2009). Anxiety and anxiety disorders in children and adolescents: developmental issues and implications for DSM-V. Psychiatric Clinics, 32(3), 483-524.
  2. Healthdirect Australia. (n.d.). Anxiety in children. https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/anxiety-in-children

Vietnamese translation of this article:

R?i Lo?n Lo Âu ? Tr? Em

Các Lo?i R?i Lo?n Lo Âu:

R?i lo?n lo âu ? tr? em có th? có nhi?u d?ng, m?i d?ng có nh?ng ??c ?i?m riêng bi?t:

– R?i lo?n lo âu lan t?a (GAD): Tr? m?c GAD th??ng c?m th?y lo l?ng và s? hãi quá m?c v? nhi?u khía c?nh khác nhau c?a cu?c s?ng, bao g?m tr??ng h?c, gia ?ình và n?ng l?c c?a b?n thân.

– R?i lo?n lo âu xã h?i: ?i?u này liên quan ??n n?i s? hãi mãnh li?t và tránh né các tình hu?ng xã h?i, ch?ng h?n nh? nói tr??c ?ám ?ông, k?t b?n ho?c tham gia các ho?t ??ng nhóm.

– N?i ám ?nh c? th?: Tr? em có th? phát tri?n nh?ng n?i s? hãi c? th? v? ?? v?t, ??ng v?t ho?c tình hu?ng, nh? ?? cao, nh?n ho?c bay máy bay, ?i?u này có th? d?n ??n khó kh?n tâm th?n ?áng k?.

– R?i lo?n lo âu chia ly: Ph? bi?n h?n ? tr? nh?, lo âu chia ly d?n ??n khó kh?n t?t ?? khi b? tách kh?i cha m? ho?c ng??i ch?m sóc.

– R?i lo?n ám ?nh c??ng ch? (OCD): OCD ???c ??c tr?ng b?i nh?ng suy ngh? tái di?n, xâm l?n  và các hành vi ho?c hành vi tâm th?n  l?p ?i l?p l?i nh?m m?c ?ích gi?m b?t khó kh?n tâm th?n liên quan ??n nh?ng suy ngh? này.

  Tri?u Ch?ng:

Tr? b? r?i lo?n lo âu có th? bi?u hi?n nhi?u tri?u ch?ng khác nhau, có th? bao g?m:

– Lo l?ng ho?c s? hãi quá m?c v? m?t lo?t các s? ki?n hàng ngày.

– Các tri?u ch?ng th?c th? nh? b?n ch?n, c?ng c? và ?? m? hôi.

– Khó ch?u, thay ??i tâm tr?ng ho?c có xu h??ng d? b? gi?t mình.

– R?i lo?n gi?c ng?, bao g?m khó ng? ho?c th??ng xuyên g?p ác m?ng.

– ? tr? nh?, lo l?ng có th? bi?u hi?n d??i d?ng nh?ng phàn nàn v? th? ch?t, ch?ng h?n nh? ?au b?ng ho?c ?au ??u.

Nguyên Nhân Và Y?u T? R?i Ro:

R?i lo?n lo âu ? tr? em th??ng là k?t qu? c?a s? k?t h?p c?a nhi?u y?u t?1, bao g?m:

– Di truy?n: Ti?n s? gia ?ình m?c ch?ng r?i lo?n lo âu có th? làm t?ng tính nh?y c?m c?a tr?.

– Y?u t? môi tr??ng: Các s? ki?n c?ng th?ng ho?c ch?n th??ng trong cu?c s?ng có th? góp ph?n gây ra lo l?ng.

– Tính khí: M?t s? tr? có tính khí lo âu b?m sinh nên có th? t?ng r?i ro m?c ch?ng r?i lo?n lo âu.

Tác ??ng ??n S? Phát Tri?n:

R?i lo?n lo l?ng có th? c?n tr? ?áng k? s? phát tri?n và cu?c s?ng hàng ngày c?a tr?. Nó có th? d?n ??n:

– Hành vi né tránh, có th? ?nh h??ng ??n vi?c ?i h?c và tham gia các ho?t ??ng.

– Khó t?p trung và h?c t?p, có kh? n?ng ?nh h??ng ??n k?t qu? h?c t?p.

– Nh?ng thách th?c trong vi?c hình thành và duy trì các m?i quan h? xã h?i có tính quy?t ??nh cho s? phát tri?n.

  Ch?n ?oán Và ?ánh Giá:

Ch?n ?oán r?i lo?n lo âu ? tr? em th??ng ???c th?c hi?n b?i chuyên gia s?c kh?e tâm th?n. ?i?u này có th? bao g?m:

– Ph?ng v?n lâm sàng v?i tr? và cha m?.

– S? d?ng b?ng câu h?i tiêu chu?n ?? ?ánh giá m?c ?? nghiêm tr?ng c?a lo âu.

– Quan sát hành vi c?a tr? trong các tình hu?ng khác nhau.

Ph??ng pháp ?i?u tr? tâm lý cho ch?ng r?i lo?n lo âu ? tr? em bao g?m Tr? li?u nh?n th?c-hành vi (CBT)2: CBT giúp tr? h?c các cách qu?n lí và ?i?u ti?t, thách th?c nh?ng suy ngh? phi lý và d?n d?n ??i m?t v?i n?i s? hãi c?a mình m?t cách có ki?m soát.

H? Tr? C?a Ph? Huynh:

Cha m? ?óng m?t vai trò quan tr?ng trong vi?c giúp tr? ki?m soát s? lo l?ng. Các chi?n l??c h? tr? có th? bao g?m:

– Giáo d?c b?n thân v? tình tr?ng b?nh ?? hi?u rõ h?n nh?ng khó kh?n c?a con mình.

– T?o môi tr??ng gia ?ình thân thi?n, c?i m? và ít c?ng th?ng.

 H? tr? tr??ng h?c và xã h?i:

S? h?p tác gi?a ph? huynh, giáo viên và c? v?n tr??ng h?c là ?i?u c?n thi?t ?? ?áp ?ng nhu c?u c?a tr? trong môi tr??ng giáo d?c. ?i?u này có th? liên quan ??n vi?c t?o ra m?t k? ho?ch h? tr? và thúc ??y môi tr??ng l?p h?c giúp gi?m b?t các tác nhân gây lo l?ng.

Nh?n bi?t và can thi?p s?m là r?t quan tr?ng trong vi?c giúp tr? v??t qua r?i lo?n lo l?ng và có cu?c s?ng kh?e m?nh, tr?n v?n. V?i s? h? tr? và ?i?u tr? thích h?p, nhi?u tr? m?c ch?ng r?i lo?n lo âu có th? ki?m soát thành công tình tr?ng c?a mình và có ???c cu?c s?ng tr?n v?n. Can thi?p s?m là chìa khóa ?? ng?n ng?a nh?ng tác ??ng lâu dài ??n s?c kh?e tâm th?n c?a tr?.

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