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Overview of anxiety in children

Tirohanga whānui ki āwangawanga ki ngā tamariki

Anxiety is a common emotion in tamariki (children). It's usually an appropriate response by tamariki children to new or difficult situations or changes in their environment, such as starting a new school or moving to a new house.

If you give your tamaiti (child) reassurance and encourage them to learn how to cope for themselves, their anxiety usually goes away.

Anxiety tends to be about things like going away on a school camp or starting a new school year. It can also be about school pressures or going to the doctor.

For most tamariki, their anxieties go away or change as they get older and learn that the situations aren't as bad as they feared.

Excessive anxiety is more complicated and tends to cause more problems.

A tamaiti child has excessive anxiety if they keep being anxious despite reassurance. Another sign is if their behaviour changes in response to their anxiety. For example, starting to avoid situations to reduce the intensity of their feelings.

Possible causes of anxiety in children

Your tamaiti may be anxious about specific issues or events, or they may worry about many things. You may know about these problems and be trying to help. Or you may not appreciate how much these problems are affecting your tamaiti. It's common for parents to underestimate how anxious their tamaiti is.

Problems could be:

bullying
the death or illness of a whānau (family) member or pet
not having many friends at school, or a teacher who doesn't understand the tamaiti well
learning difficulties
long-term health issues
conflict in the home

Tamariki do not have as many skills for coping with difficulties as adults. Often, they do not know how to explain their problems, let alone ask for help.

Unfortunately, some tamariki are exposed to violence, abuse or neglect. Sometimes anxiety is the way they express their distress about this. If there is a possibility that a tamaiti child is at risk of harm or in danger, contact Oranga Tamariki Ministry for Children, phone 0508-326-459.

Symptoms of anxiety in children

A tamaiti with anxiety can have a wide range of symptoms. The symptoms can look like physical health issues, personality quirks or naughtiness. They can be broken down into physical, behavioural and emotional symptoms.

Physical symptoms

stomach pains
headaches
weight loss
skin conditions
nausea
diarrhoea.

Behavioural symptoms

not sleeping
picky eating
constantly needing attention
checking in repeatedly
clinginess
constant hand washing
avoiding school
defiance
not participating in activities.

Emotional symptoms

nightmares
tearfulness
attention and concentration problems
angry outbursts
irritability.

If the underlying cause is not identified and addressed, these symptoms can become difficult to manage. They can affect more and more areas of life.

Treating anxiety in children

Treatment for anxiety in tamariki children depends on how severe the problem is. Many tamariki have mild symptoms that do not impact their daily life very much. They just need consistency from their parents and teachers and help to learn the skills to manage their fears and worries.

Other tamariki have more serious anxiety problems. They may need group courses, family therapy, play therapy or one-to-one therapy. The therapy is likely to involve the tamaiti and their parents. Often the parents will need treatment for their own anxiety.

Medications aren't usually used to treat anxiety in tamariki.

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