Anxiety Disorders in Children

Barbara Lopez & Wendy K. Silverman

Anxiety disorders appropriate for diagnosis in children and adolescents include separation anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, specific phobia, social phobia, panic disorder, agoraphobia, posttraumatic stress disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Most anxiety disorders are listed under “Anxiety Disorders” in the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) (American Psychiatric Association, 1994), with the exception of separation anxiety disorder, which is classified under “Other Disorders of Infancy, Childhood, and Adolescence.” This entry describes the features of the disorder, prevalence and prognosis of anxiety disorders, and current methods of assessment and treatment. In general, anxiety disorders share similar features, including (a) maladaptive thoughts or cognitions of harm or injury to self or loved ones; (b) physiological arousal or reaction (e.g., palpitations, sweating, irritability); (c) avoidance or attempts at avoidance of particular objects or situations, and when avoidance is not possible, the child endures with severe distress (e.g., crying, ...

Users without subscription are not able to see the full content on this title. Please, subscribe or login to access all content on this website.