pediatrics
Overview of Anxiety Disorders in Children and Adolescents
Symptoms and Signs
Perhaps the most common manifestation of an anxiety disorder in children and adolescents is school refusal. “School refusal” has largely supplanted the term “school phobia.” Actual fear of school is exceedingly rare. Most children who refuse to go to school probably have separation anxiety, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, or a combination. Some have a specific phobia. The possibility that the child is being bullied at school must also be considered. Some children complain directly about their anxiety, describing it in terms of worries—eg, “I am worried that I will never see you again” (separation anxiety) or “I am worried the kids will laugh at me” (social anxiety disorder). However, most children describe their discomfort in terms of somatic complaints: “I cannot go to school because I have a stomachache.” These children are often telling the truth because an upset stomach, nausea, headaches, and sleep problems often develop in children with anxiety. Several long-term follow-up studies confirm that many children with somatic complaints, especially abdominal pain, have an underlying anxiety disorder. 