preview

Symptoms And Consequences Of Anxiety

Better Essays

Anxiety in youth endangers individuals putting them at a greater risk for a comorbid diagnosis (Verduin & Kendall, 2003), psychopathology during adulthood (Flannery-Schroeder et al., 2004; Woodward & Fergusson, 2001) and dysfunctioning family and peer relationships (Woodward & Fergusson, 2001). However from a developmental perspective, in healthy individuals anxiety plays an integral part of human emotions which is experienced throughout life. But when anxiety is characterized by irrational fear or worry which causes significant distress, impairment in functioning or both it is termed as anxiety disorder. The Diagnostic Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) specifies 12 different anxiety disorders. Anxiety in childhood and adolescence is a common psychiatric condition. Reports by Essau (2000) showed higher rates of anxiety in adolescents than childhood showing an increase from 14.7% at 12- 13 years to 22.0% at 16-17 years of age. More recent epidemiological study suggest a period prevalence rate of 9%-32% during childhood and adolescence (C. Essau & Gabbidon, 2013). Forms of anxiety such as Separation Anxiety Disorder are less prevalent in adolescents but Generalised Anxiety Disorder (Rapee, 1991) and Social Anxiety Disorder (Westenberg et al., 2007) are more prevalent in adolescence relative to childhood. The exhibition of anxiety in adolescence can be

Get Access