Anxiety in children and teenagers
Anxiety in children continues to rise to levels never seen before.
Around 1 in 5 children struggle with anxiety. As a parent it might feel difficult to help, but there are ways you can support your child.
Explore some of the common questions asked about anxiety in children and teenagers:
What is anxiety?
Anxiety in children is common. It is a feeling of nervousness, fear or worry. It’s normal to have periods of worry about specific events, but persisting worry and unease is classed as anxiety. Anxiety can cause bodily sensations as well as feelings.
Symptoms of anxiety in children
Look for the following signs of anxiety in your child/ young person:
- Frequent stomach aches
- Difficulty concentrating
- Changes to appetite
- Problems with sleep/ nightmares
- Negative thinking
- Excessive worrying
- Crying
- Anger and irritability
- Outbursts/ being explosive
- Clinginess.
Physical signs of anxiety
Your child might experience some of the following:
- stomach aches or nausea
- headaches
- dizziness
- a tight chest
- shaking
- sweating
- a fast heartbeat
- sleep difficulties.
When to seek professional help
If your child’s anxiety is concerning you then contact your GP and ask for an appointment. They can refer your child to a local mental health or counselling service for talking therapy.
Anxiety and panic attacks
You can find out more about panic attacks and managing them here.
How to help your child with anxiety
Firstly, you’re already helping your child by reading about anxiety in a bid to understand it. There’s lots of other things you can do to help as well:
- Tell them you are there for them and happy to talk whenever they need
- Encourage them to chat to you about their worries
- Help your child make a self-soothe box, which can help them calm down. Check out our guide here
- Use a soothing breathing video when they feel stressed and overwhelmed- watch our box breathing video here
- Suggest they try journalling as a way to release their worries each day
- Encourage them to do more of what they enjoy- hobbies, spending time with pets or family, sports etc
- Suggest they try calming activities to help them relax- for example, baking, painting or colouring
- Talk about what makes them anxious and aim to identify the triggers
- Spend quality time together every day. This helps your child feel supported.
Online resources to help and support your child if they are experiencing anxiety:
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Managing intrusive thoughtsManaging intrusive thoughts
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Rainbow breathing for kidsRainbow breathing for kids
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Worry jar worksheetWorry jar worksheet
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Finger breathing for kidsFinger breathing for kids
Counselling support
Concerned about your child's mental health? At Spurgeons our counselling service provide individual counselling for children and young people, offering a safe, confidential and non-judgmental environment so your child can build a trusting relationship with a qualified professional.
