Anxiety disorders in children and adolescents

This paper describes anxiety disorders in children and adolescents, and examines the difference between normal and abnormal anxiety, the importance of significant functional impairment and developmental appropriateness. Epidemiological characteristics and diagnostic features of the different anxiety disorders - including separation anxiety, generalized anxiety, social phobia, selective mutism, panic disorder and specific phobia - are considered individually. There is a more general consideration of the significance of childhood anxiety disorders, their aetiology, assessment and prognosis. Differential diagnoses with both other psychiatric and physical disorders are considered. The article ends with an up-to-date summary of multi-modal treatments based on the most recent studies available.