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Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Children

All kids worries from time to time, but for some worry becomes so excessive and uncontrollable, and is associated with a host of somatic symptoms, that a diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder is warranted. Kids with generalized anxiety disorder may worry about:

  • Day-to-day matters
  • Their health and/or the health of others
  • Academic performance
  • Friendships
  • Family matters (e.g., finances, how well the parents are getting along)
  • Community or world affairs
  • The future
  • Death and dying
  • Perfectionism

Signs of excessive worry include:

  • Worrying even when there is nothing wrong, or after a threat or problem has passed.
  • Spending a high percentage of waking hours worrying about something.
  • The child’s worry makes it difficult to get things done or interferes with his or her ability to relax or take pleasure in things.

The excessive worry associated with generalized anxiety disorder can produce symptoms such as:

  • Restlessness, or feeling keyed up or on edge
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Irritability
  • Muscle tension
  • Sleep disturbances

Roughly 3-6% of the general population suffers with generalized anxiety disorder although only a small percentage of afflicted individuals seek professional help. Generalized anxiety disorder typically onsets sometime between childhood and middle adulthood, and when left untreated can be associated with considerable difficulties in academic, peer, and family settings.

If these symptoms seem relevant to you or your child, we can help. Feel free to contact us by calling our main desk at (212) 246-5740.

The Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders (CUCARD) provides evidence-based treatments for all of the anxiety disorders that can afflict children, including: