Mental Health in Young People Summary

Different Types of Anxirty Disorders

Anxiety disorder affects people of all ages. It is the most common type of MH disorder in children. Anxiety is a sense of worry, fear and distress, when it interferes, with normal day to day activities then it is a concern.

Separation anxiety disorder

Intense fear of being separated from their key attachment figure, mostly the parent. Onset is before 6 years old. Children show excessive concern that their attachment figure may come to some harm, need to stay in touch either by email or phone, may want to sleep in the same bed or room.

Physical symptoms

Headaches, stomach aches, sickness, and vomiting.

Causes: onset may be triggered by persistent frightening experiences i.e., living through war, emigrating or on-going parental conflict, death of a relative or illness, sometimes due to a overprotective parent,

Social anxiety

OCD                             

The disorder is rarer in children than adults, but it can occur.

Repetitive behaviours are common in childhood, especially between the ages of 4 – 10 years,

Obsessive thoughts are intrusive and inappropriate and cause considerable anxiety. The child may feel that they have little control over these thoughts.

Treatment OCD is treated using behavioural therapy techniques.

GAD It is perfectly normal to been anxious such as exams, starting a new job school/job

Social phobia

Panic disorder

Agoraphobia

Is an anxiety disorder that causes intense fear in situations where it may be hard to escape, such as on a bus or train or if help is not available if they have a panic attack.

School Refusal/school phobia