Assessment and management of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents

• Published in: Archives of disease in childhood Vol. 99; no. 7; pp. 674 - 678
• Main Authors: Creswell, Cathy, Waite, Polly, Cooper, Peter J
• Format: Journal Article Book Review
• Language: English
• Published: London BMJ Publishing Group 01-07-2014; BMJ Publishing Group Ltd; BMJ Publishing Group LTD
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescents; Anxiety; Anxiety Disorders; Anxiety Disorders - diagnosis; Anxiety Disorders - therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Care and treatment; Child; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - methods; Cognitive therapy; Cognitive-behavioral therapy; Cognitive-behavioural therapy; Diagnosis; Fear; General aspects; Health aspects; Humans; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; Posttraumatic Stress Disorder; Prevention and actions; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Review; Separation Anxiety; Teenagers; Youth; Human; Evaluation; Pediatrics; Clinical management; Treatment; Adolescent; Anxiety disorder; Management; Child; Public health
• ISSN: 0003-9888; 1468-2044
• DOI: 10.1136/archdischild-2013-303768

Anxiety disorders in childhood and adolescence are extremely common and are often associated with lifelong psychiatric disturbance. Consistent with DSM-5 and the extant literature, this review concerns the assessment and treatment of specific phobias, separation anxiety disorder, generalised anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder and agoraphobia. Evidence-based psychological treatments (cognitive behaviour therapy; CBT) for these disorders have been developed and investigated, and in recent years promising low-intensity versions of CBT interventions have been proposed that offer a means to increase access to evidence-based treatments. There is some evidence of effectiveness of pharmacological treatments for anxiety disorders in children and young people, however, routine prescription is not recommended due to concerns about potential harm.