Anxiety Disorders in Children and Adolescents

Anxiety disorders represent the most common form of psychopathology in children and adolescents. In community studies including adolescents, approximately 4–19% of young people were found to be suffering from anxiety disorders (Costello & Angold, 1995; Ford, Goodman & Meltzer, 2003; Shaffer et al., 1996). Although rates of anxiety disorders are similar in prepubertal boys and girls, there is a slightly higher occurrence of anxiety disorders in adolescent girls than boys (Costello & Angold, 1995; Shaffer et al., 1996). Anxiety disorders can significantly interfere with a young person's ability to function in interpersonal relationships and at school (Ezpeleta, Keeler, Erkanli, Costello & Angold, 2001), yet they often go unrecognized by parents and teachers.