Anxiety in Children – What to look out for

Anxious children can seem sad, angry or closed off and shut down. However, anxious children, just like anxious adults, do not always “show” their anxiety in their behaviour. 

For example, just like an anxious adult, an anxious child can manage their anxiety in ways that do not seem negative to those around them. 

How many adults do we know who manage there emotions by working hard? Children are no different, when they feel worried, confused, unsafe or frightened, they can sometimes manage these feelings by working very hard in school or by finding solace in their friendship groups. 

Rather than assessing a child’s mental health by judging their behaviour, it is safer to think about what a young person has experienced because our experiences affect the way we feel.

The World Health Organisation notes 10 Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs, that will make children feel anxious and unsafe. These ACEs include the following: Parental conflict, experiencing divorce and separation, poor parental mental health due to parents using substances like weed or alcohol, frequent moves, parents worried about money or their health and of course being exposed to abuse.

If you have anxiety or depression, then most likely you have had some of these experiences. Here is some information that gives a little more detail.