Patient Education for Children and Adolescents – Anxiety Disorders 

Patient Education for Children and Adolescents – Anxiety Disorders 

Anxiety disorders are one of the most prevalent childhood and adolescent psychiatric illnesses. Although some worry is a normal part of development, excessive and persistent worry can disrupt everyday functioning. Awareness of signs and symptoms, treatment strategies, and availability of the necessary community resources are vital to optimal management.

Signs and Symptoms

Anxiety disorders in children and adolescents can generate extreme fear, nervousness, and excessive worry beyond the ordinary response to stressful situations. The symptoms will differ depending on the anxiety disorder but also tend to include physical symptoms like headaches, stomachaches, muscle tension, and sleep disturbance, as noted by Kowalchuk et al. (2022). The emotional symptoms can be ongoing worry, restlessness, irritability, and difficulty concentrating.

Notably, social anxiety disorder is excessive fear of social situations, and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is excessive worry in all domains of life, such as school, family, and health. Feriante et al. (2023) state that separation anxiety disorder is prevalent in younger children and leads to excessive distress when the child is away from caregivers. Panic disorder can lead to abrupt onset of intense fear with difficulty breathing, dizziness, and heart palpitations.

Pharmacological and Nonpharmacological Treatments

Treatment of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents usually consists of a mixture of nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic treatment. The most used are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like fluoxetine and sertraline, which have been found to stabilize mood and decrease symptoms of anxiety, as asserted by Edinoff et al. (2021). Although the drugs have been shown to work, their use should be monitored closely because they have side effects like nausea, headaches, and appetite changes.

Nonpharmacological treatments, including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), are required for anxiety treatment. CBT helps children and adolescents identify negative thoughts, acquire coping skills, and slowly face anxiety-stimulating situations in a controlled setup (Kowalchuk et al., 2022). Mindfulness training, deep breathing, and relaxation training can also be helpful in symptom control. Finally, family therapy and parental guidance are essential in bolstering coping skills and creating a supportive environment at home.

Community Resources and Referrals

Families who are looking for help for anxiety disorders can access several community resources. School counselors, pediatricians, and local mental health clinics can do initial evaluations and referrals to specialists. One organization, the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), provides educational information, online support groups, and access to professional help (ADAA, 2023). The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) offers family support groups and peer education classes that educate parents and caregivers about anxiety disorders and how to deal with them appropriately. Schools, in most instances, have mental health programs that offer counseling services and classroom accommodations for students with anxiety disorders. Online therapy websites can also offer treatment to teenagers and children who might be more comfortable talking about their issues via the internet.

Conclusion

Anxiety disorders can significantly affect everyday life in children and adolescents, but with proper treatment and support, young people can learn to live successfully with their symptoms. Early intervention, therapy, medication (if necessary), and availability of supportive services can assist children and families in coping with anxiety disorders and enhancing their overall quality of life.

References

ADAA. (2023). Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA. Adaa.org. https://adaa.org/

Edinoff, A. N., Akuly, H. A., Hanna, T. A., Ochoa, C. O., Patti, S. J., Ghaffar, Y. A., Kaye, A. D., Viswanath, O., Urits, I., Boyer, A. G., Cornett, E. M., & Kaye, A. M. (2021). Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and adverse effects: A narrative review. Neurology International, 13(3), 387–401. https://doi.org/10.3390/neurolint13030038

Feriante, J., Bernstein, B., & Torrico, T. (2023). Separation anxiety disorder. PubMed; StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK560793/

Kowalchuk, A., Gonzalez, S. J., & Zoorob, R. J. (2022). Anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. American Family Physician, 106(6), 657–664. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36521463/

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Patient education is an effective tool in supporting compliance and treatment for a diagnosis. It is important to consider effective ways to educate patients and their families about a diagnosis—such as coaching, brochures, or videos—and to recognize that the efficacy of any materials may differ based on the needs and learning preferences of a particular patient. Because patients or their families may be overwhelmed with a new diagnosis, it is important that materials provided by the practitioner clearly outline the information that patients need to know.

Patient Education for Children and Adolescents

For this Assignment, you will pretend that you are a contributing writer to a health blog. You are tasked with explaining important information about an assigned mental health disorder in language appropriate for child/adolescent patients and/or their caregivers.

RESOURCES

Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.

WEEKLY RESOURCES

TO PREPARE
By Day 1, your Instructor will assign a mood or anxiety disorder diagnosis for you to use for this Assignment.
Research signs and symptoms for your diagnosis, pharmacological treatments, nonpharmacological treatments, and appropriate community resources and referrals.
THE ASSIGNMENT
In a 300- to 500-word blog post written for a patient and/or caregiver audience, explain signs and symptoms for your diagnosis, pharmacological treatments, nonpharmacological treatments, and appropriate community resources and referrals.
Although you are not required to respond to colleagues, collegial discussion is welcome.
Last names begin with the letter’s F-J

Anxiety Disorder