All it takes is a quick Google search to find several articles indicating that anxiety is on the rise in children and teenagers.

An article from the American Psychological Association states:

“Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, growing numbers of young people were experiencing high rates of clinical-level anxiety. About 11.6% of kids had anxiety in 2012, up 20% from 2007. But during the pandemic, those numbers nearly doubled, such that 20.5% of youth worldwide now struggle with anxiety symptoms…”

Children across the nation are experiencing symptoms of anxiety at an increasing, and alarming, rate. Here are some examples of triggers from some of my preteen/teen clients:

• Anxiety due to bullying at school
• Anxiety due to parent’s financial troubles
• Anxiety due to school performance/expections
• Anxiety due to conflict within their friend group
• Anxiety due to business/feeling overwhelmed with school, work, extracurriculars
• Anxiety due to watching news coverage of traumatic events
• Anxiety due to conflict between their parents
• Anxiety due to not feeling like they “fit in”
• Anxiety about body image/weight/clothing size

Because of this increase in anxiety researchers are seeing in children, I thought it prudent to write a series on anxiety in children, pre-teens, and teenagers. Warning: it is always best to consult a medical/mental health provider if you believe your child has anxiety. Leave the diagnosing to the professionals (doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, counselors, social workers). I include a post about symptoms not so that you can diagnose your child, but so that you can be aware of what to look for and reach out for help if needed.

To start, here is a list of symptoms for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition Text Revision (DSM-5-TR):

• Excessive anxiety and worry occurring more days than not for at least 6 months
• Restlessness or feeling keyed up or on edge
• Being easily fatigured
• Difficulty concentrating or mind going blank
• Irritability
• Muscle tension
• Sleep disturbance

To meet diagnostic criteria according to the DSM-5, individuals must be experiencing the first symptom, plus at least three of the six other symptoms. The symptoms must be causing them distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of function. Lastly, the symptoms must not be explained by substances or another mental disorder.

If you seek help from a professional, they will use the DSM-5-TR to make a formal anxiety diagnosis. However, there are many other symptoms kids can report that can indicate an anxiety concern. Symptoms I’ve had reported to me by anxious preteens/teens include:

• Headaches (often caused by muscle tension)
• Stomachaches
• Feeling self-conscious or very sensitive to criticism
• Avoiding situations/places/people
• Clingy behavior/reassurance seeking
• Change in appetite
• Emotional outbursts
• Hyper-focused on “perfection”/being perfect
• Anxiety/panic attacks (these can feel different for different people)
• Racing thoughts
• Fidgeting

Other symptoms can be experienced, but these are the ones commonly reported to me by my clients.

I’d like to point out that just because your child/preteen/teenager experiences some or a lot of these symptoms doesn’t mean that they have anxiety or could meet diagnostic criteria for an anxiety disorder. I personally experience several of these symptoms, sometimes on a daily basis, but do not meet criteria for an anxiety disorder. This can make diagnosis hard.

The other thing that can make diagnosing tricky is that many of these symptoms overlap with symptoms of other disorders. This is why diagnosing is best left to the professionals. For example, change in appetite, difficulty concentrating, and sleep disturbance are also symptoms of depression (I’m hoping to do a similar series on depression when we’ve wrapped up anxiety, so keep checking back for that!).

So why is this important to know? My personal opinion is that awareness is important because knowing the symptoms means that you can recognize them and get help faster than if you aren’t aware. Generally with anxiety, the sooner you get help for mental health concerns, the faster you progress in treatment. This isn’t always the case, but it’s much easier to treat anxiety in its early stages than it is if someone has been dealing with anxiety for 2-3 years and it’s reached a higher severity.

A point I want to make is that EVERYONE has anxiety. Some anxiety is healthy. If you didn’t have any anxiety, you might cross the road without looking for cars. Anxiety helps us prepare for the future and prevent harm on a daily basis. The catch is that a “normal” level of anxiety does not cause distress. Remember that piece of diagnostic criteria from the DSM-5-TR… the anxiety must be causing distress or impairment in social, academic, work, or other settings.

So if you notice these symptoms, talk to your child and perhaps a coparent. Decide if the symptoms are causing distress or if they are a barrier to your child being successful at home, school, work, or socially. If the answer is yes, I’d recommend reaching out to a mental health professional for an evaluation and to discuss treatment options.

Stay tuned for posts about treatment options for anxiety, how to support your child with anxiety, and coping skills specifically for anxiety.

Disclaimer: I am a licensed mental health therapist, but I am not your therapist. The information in this article is for general informational purposes only. This article does not create a therapist-client relationship. If you need specific recommendations based on your individual circumstances, please consult with a mental health practitioner near you.