A review of childhood anxiety

This review highlights important elements of diagnosis, assessment, and treatment while summarizing findings on the epidemiology and etiology of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents, including separation anxiety disorder, specific phobia, social phobia, agoraphobia, panic disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. The key development period for anxiety symptoms and syndromes, which can range from brief mild symptoms to severe anxiety disorders, is childhood and adolescence. This article reviews epidemiological data pertaining to risk factors, prevalence, incidence, and course. Developing assessment techniques that are more developmentally sensitive is the main challenge in this age range. Prospective designs that evaluate a wide range of putative vulnerability and risk factors will be necessary in order to identify characteristics that could serve as reliable predictors for onset, course, and outcome. For better early detection, differential diagnosis, prevention, and treatment in this age range, this kind of information are crucial.