Generalised Anxiety Disorder in Children
What is Generalised Anxiety Disorder?
Generalised Anxiety Disorder is a mental health disorder that is characterised by uncontrollable worry and anxiety that causes significant distress or impairment in important areas of life, such as social functioning and school performance. The intensity, duration, or frequency of the anxiety and worry is out of proportion to the actual likelihood or impact of the anticipated event.
It is common for most people to experience anxiety and worry from time to time, anxiety is a normal emotional reaction to stress. For people with Generalised Anxiety Disorder, the symptoms are much more severe. They experience persistent, excessive, and unrelenting worry that goes on most days, for most of the day, and have difficulties controlling it. Approximately 5.7% of people will have a diagnosis of Generalised Anxiety Disorder at some point in their lifetime, and it is about twice as common in females than in males.
Symptoms of Generalised Anxiety Disorder
Listed below are common symptoms of Generalised Anxiety Disorder:
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Excessive anxiety and worry about a number of events (e.g. school performance, health of themselves or loved ones), even when there is little or no reason to worry about them.
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Restlessness or feeling keyed up or on-edge.
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Difficulty concentrating, making decisions, and feel mind goes blank.
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Irritability.
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Muscle tension, headaches, stomach aches, nausea.
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Sleep disturbance.
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See small problems as catastrophes, and believe bad things will happen.
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Rumination - repetitive thinking or dwelling on events or situations.
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Easily fatigued.
Causes of Generalised Anxiety Disorder
There is no single cause of generalised anxiety, rather it is believed to result from of a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
Factors that can increase a child’s risk of suffering generalised anxiety include:
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Genetics: Family history of anxiety. Inherited inhibited or timid temperament that can over time develop into anxiety.
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Brain chemistry: Biochemical changes or imbalances in the brain that regulate mood.
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Learned behaviour: Parents or other family members who exhibit anxiety can role model this behaviour. Over time, a tendency to habitually worry can become ingrained in how they respond to everday situations.
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Stressful or traumatic events. Experiencing stressful or traumatic events (e.g. loss of a loved one, parent divorce, abuse, bullying, moving house, changing school), ongoing problems at home or school.
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Medical conditions: Chronic illness or severe medical condition.
Treatment for Generalised Anxiety
Treatment for generalised anxiety typically involves both counselling and medication.
If generalised anxiety is left untreated, it can significantly decrease a child’s quality of life. Untreated generalised anxiety can lead to relationship problems, isolation, social phobia, severe panic attacks, and depression. In the long-term in can lead to reduced opportunities for education and employment, substance abuse, and physical health issues.
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