General Anxiety Disorder Among Teens

Transcription

1 General Anxiety Disorder Among Teens General Anxiety Disorder Among Teens Facts Facts In an estimated million of children worldwide have or have had a diagnosible psychiatric disorder Of these disorders anxiety disorders are the most prevalent with % of youth having been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder by age General Anxiety Disorder GAD a condition characterized by pervasive intrusive irrational worry dread and anxiety In children and teenagers the anxiety is often focused on performance in school and relationships A Resource Guide by Sarah Doochin Symptoms of GAD Symptoms Characterized by persistent excessive and unrealistic worry about everyday things and severe anxiety in response to new situations Teenagers with GAD experience exaggerated worry and tension when there is no reason for concern Physical symptoms may include muscle tension fatigue difficulty sleeping difficulty concentrating irritability nausea headaches GAD often co occurs with other anxiety disorders such as depression attention deficit disorders eating disorders substance abuse and more

2 Diagnosis & Treatment GAD is diagnosed when a teen worries excessively about a variety of everyday problems for at least six months GAD should only be diagnosed by a medical doctor clinical psychologist or other trained heath provider who has spent time with the teenager and has conducted a proper mental health assessment Cognitive behavioral therapy is effective for many teenagers with GAD this helps them identify understand and modify faulty thinking and behavior patterns it also enables them to learn to control their worry Relaxation techniques meditation yoga exercise and other alternative treatments may also help ease anxiety Doctors may also prescribe medication either anti anxiety medication or antidepressants to help treat GAD As seen in the first graph above from the National Institute of Mental Health % of teens in the United States between the ages of and have some sort of severe anxiety disorder As seen in the second graph females are more likely than males to be diagnosed with anxiety disorders

3 National Organizations Agencies and Services for Teens with General Anxiety Disorder CHILD MIND INSTITUTE An organization committed to finding more effective treatments for childhood psychiatric and learning disorders The Child Mind Institute seeks to improve the lives of children and teens struggling with psychiatric and learning disorders by integrating the following elements Accessible evidence based clinical care for youth and their families Collaborative research that engages scientists from around the world in the discovery of more effective treatments for psychiatric and learning disorders Comprehensive information and resources to educate and empower parents Passionate focused advcacy to destigmatize childhood psychiatric disorders and bring effective care to families around the globe Contact info: Child Mind Institute Park Avenue New York NY info childmind org

4 FREEDOM FROM FEAR A national non profit mental illness advocacy organization and anxiety and depression resource site Founded by Mary Guardino in as an outgrowth of her own personal experiences having suffered from anxiety and depression as a teenage and adult The website contains valuable information based on research findings on anxiety and ways to effectively treat it CONTACT INFO: Freedom from Fear Seaview Avenue Staten Island NY Mary Guardino Founder Executive Director Maryfff aol com www freedomfromfear org

5 TEENAGE ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SOLUTIONS An organization based out of Groton CONTACT INFO Massachusetts whose mission is to raise awareness about mental health issues in our society especially depression and anxiety - funding for school based suicide prevention - enabling community based services P O TADS concentrates its efforts on advocacy and mental health education programs TADS and 133 Box Groton MA www tadsma org info tadsma org

6 Annotated Bibliography Helpful Web Resources Add Anxiety a little and bit of Depression body textassociation of America July Generalized Anxiety Disorder Retreived from the ADAA website http www adaa org understanding anxiety generalized anxiety disorder gad Adolescent Growth July Mental Health Retrieved from the Adolescent Growth website http adolescentgrowth com treatment programs mental health Davenport L New syndrome links anxiety and physical disorders Medscape Medical News Retrieved from http www medscape com viewarticle Freedom from Fear About Anxiety and Depression Retreived from website http www freedomfromfear org AboutAnxietyandDepression en html Harvard Women s Health Watch July Harvard Health Publications Anxiety and physical illness Retreived from http www health harvard edu staying healthy anxiety and physical illness National Institute of Mental Health May Anxiety Disorders Retreived from http www nimh nih gov health topics anxiety disorders index shtml Teenage Anxiety Solutions Retrieved from http www tadsma org index htm Teen Mental Health Generalized Anxiety Disorder Retreived from http teenmentalhealth org learn mental disorders generalized anxiety disorder

7 Annotated Bibliography Anxiety and Depression Association of America July www ada org A worldwide community of clinicians patients researchers students and caregivers who seek to promote the prevention treatment and cure of anxiety and mood disorders OCD and PTSD through education practice and research Foa E Wasmer L If your adolescent has an anxiety disorder: an essential resource for parents New York NY Oxford University Press An essential guide for parents teachers or other adults involved with teenagers who are affected by anxiety disorders National Institute of Mental Health July www nimh nih gov The NIMH is part of the U S Department of Health and Human Services The mission of NIMH is to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses through basic and clinical research Teen Mental Health July www teenmentalhealth org A youthful vibrant resource about all areas of mental health that caters to teenagers and young adults Includes comprehensive straightforward facts about the teenage brain and a wide array of mental disorders that affect teenagers