Anxiety Disorders in Childhood and Adolescence: A Primary Care Approach

Fears and worries are normal feelings that help us adapt to the ups and downs of life. Those ups and downs are especially normal as children and adolescents grow up and try to find where they fit in the world. With changing relationships at home and in social circles, they are establishing their worldview and solidifying their identity. These feelings of fear and worry can sometimes become overwhelming, and anxiety disorders can develop. Anxiety disorders are the most common psychiatric disorders with onset in childhood. Pediatricians are often a trusted confidant for children and adolescents, and they may be the first people to hear when normal stress becomes overwhelming and progresses into an anxiety disorder. This article is intended for primary care pediatricians to help them identify normal stresses versus anxiety disorders, and help their patients move, through psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy, toward wellness. [Pediatr Ann. 2017;46(6)e213-e216.].