Anxiety in Children and Adolescents

Course overview

Anxiety disorders impact more than twenty-five million people in the U.S., and these disorders are the most common mental health diagnoses given to children and adolescents. Anxiety disorders are often identified by common symptoms that may include the overwhelming feeling of panic and fear, obsessive thoughts, and recurring nightmares. In both children and adolescents, anxiety disorders often interfere with academic functioning in school and socializing with peers. In fact, adolescents with anxiety often drop out of school, negatively impacting their ability to earn a living wage as adults. Untreated anxiety during adolescence also increases the risk of substance abuse, a risk that continues into adulthood. Effective treatment for anxiety includes a combination of mental health therapy and pharmacological therapy. Treating symptoms of anxiety in adolescence helps to create positive outcomes in adulthood. This course provides an overview of anxiety in children and adolescents and includes an overview of the various types of anxiety disorders regularly seen in youth. This course will also discuss evidence based treatment approaches recognized for effectively treating the symptoms of anxiety in children and adolescents.