Signs of generalised anxiety in children
Generalised anxiety or worry typically starts to show when children reach school age. Babies, toddlers and preschoolers usually don’t have generalised anxiety.
If your child has generalised anxiety, they might:
- continually ask the same questions in new or unfamiliar situations – for example, ‘What’s going to happen?’ or ‘What if … ?
- worry about a lot of things – for example, health, schoolwork, school or sport performance, money, safety or world events
- feel the need to be perfect
- fear asking or answering questions in class
- find it hard to perform in tests
- seek constant reassurance.
There are also some physical signs – stomach aches, headaches, tiredness and inattention. Children might also spend more than an hour getting to sleep at night, because they’re worrying about the events of the next day.
The signs of generalised anxiety can be easy to miss. Your child might work very hard in the classroom and other situations. It can be difficult to know they’re constantly worrying.
All young children ask a lot of questions. They like to know what’s happening, when and where. This is a natural part of learning and understanding daily life. But if you’re concerned about the kind or number of questions your child asks, it’s best to talk with your GP or health professional.
How to help children with generalised anxiety
You can best help your child when you understand their anxious feelings. A good way to do this is by thinking about your child’s anxiety signs and the situations in which they seem to happen. You could keep a record of these signs and situations to see whether there’s a pattern.
When you understand your child’s anxiety, it helps you choose the best way to respond. Here are ideas:
- If your child asks the same questions over and over, encourage them to think about the situation themselves. For example, ‘What do you think might work?’
- Avoid constantly reassuring your child or helping them avoid things they worry about. This won’t help your child learn to handle worrying situations.
- If your child uses lucky charms or special objects to make a situation ‘safe’, go with this to start with. But gradually phase out these lucky objects so your child learns to handle situations on their own.
- Make a conscious effort to foster your child’s self-esteem by giving them positive attention and praise, particularly when they’re courageous.
- Avoid criticising your child or being negative about their worry or need for reassurance, no matter how frustrated you feel.
Think about letting your child’s school know about their anxiety. Sometimes this is useful, particularly before events like excursions, camps or carnivals.
Using the stepladder approach to help with generalised anxiety
The stepladder approach is a gentle behaviour technique that can help children with anxiety, including generalised anxiety. It involves getting children to tackle little things before they face the things that make them feel very anxious.
For example, if your child worries about being late for school, they could start by arriving just a bit early, building up to arriving on time, and eventually arriving after the school bell goes (after their parents check that this is OK with the school).
Professional help for generalised anxiety
If you’re concerned about your child’s worrying or you think it’s affecting their enjoyment of life, consider seeking professional help.
You can get professional help from many sources, including:
- your child’s teacher or a school counsellor
- your child’s GP or paediatrician, who will be able to refer you to an appropriate mental health professional
- your local children’s health centre or community health centre
- a specialist anxiety clinic (available in most states)
- your local mental health service.
There are also online programs to help children manage anxiety – for example, The BRAVE Program.
If your child is aged 5 years or older, they can talk with a counsellor at Kids Helpline by calling 1800 551 800 or using the Kids Helpline webchat counselling service.
Financial support for children with anxiety
Your child might be able to get Medicare rebates for up to 10 sessions with a psychologist, a social worker or an occupational therapist each calendar year.
To get these rebates, your child will need a mental health treatment plan from a GP (this covers the services your child needs and the goals of the treatment) or a referral from a psychiatrist or paediatrician.
Generalised anxiety disorder
Some children develop generalised anxiety disorder. This is when children worry uncontrollably and experience distress as a result. They might also find it very hard to do everyday activities.
It’s common for children to have times when they worry a lot. It’s important to seek help for your child if the constant worrying:
- goes on for longer than 6 months
- is interfering with your child’s everyday activities, friendships, play, schoolwork or family life.