Research Review: Pediatric anxiety disorders – what have we learnt in the last 10 years?

Abstract

Background Anxiety disorders first emerge during the critical developmental periods of childhood and adolescence. This review synthesizes recent findings on the prevalence, risk factors, and course of the anxiety disorders; and their neurobiology and treatment. Methods For this review, searches were conducted using PubMed, PsycINFO, and http://clinicaltrials.gov. Findings related to the epidemiology, neurobiology, risk factors, and treatment of pediatric anxiety disorders were then summarized. Findings Anxiety disorders are high prevalence, and early‐onset conditions associated with multiple risk factors including early inhibited temperament, environment stress, and structural and functional abnormalities in the prefrontal‐amygdala circuitry as well as the default mode and salience networks. The anxiety disorders are effectively treated with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). Conclusions Anxiety disorders are high prevalence, early‐onset conditions associated with a distinct neurobiological fingerprint, and are consistently responsive to treatment. Questions remain regarding who is at risk of developing anxiety disorders as well as the way in which neurobiology predicts treatment response.

Anxiety disorders and asthma among adolescents in urban Uganda: the role of early life exposures

“…The symptom/sign and impairment items, and how these were scored to generate the diagnostic categories, as well as the reliability and validity of this scale among young people in Uganda has been reported previously 19 . For this paper, we focused on three anxiety disorders whose onset typically occurs during adolescence including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder and social anxiety disorder 2 . On average, assessment with the YI-4R scale lasted for approximately 45 minutes.…”

“…Anxiety disorders are among the first psychiatric disorders to emerge in childhood and adolescence 1,2 , and are the sixth leading cause of illness and disability among adolescents aged 10-14 years and the ninth for adolescents aged 15-19 years globally 1 . Anxiety disorders are common, with global estimates for lifetime prevalence of 9.9-16.7% (inter-quartile range) 3 Asthma is the most common non-communicable disease among children, and is estimated to affect 235 million people globally, yet we still do not fully understand the causes 4 .…”

Anxiety disorders and asthma among adolescents in Uganda: role of early-life exposures

“…The symptom/sign and impairment items, and how these were scored to generate the diagnostic categories, as well as the reliability and validity of this scale among young people in Uganda has been reported previously [21]. For this paper, we focused on three anxiety disorders whose onset typically occurs during adolescence including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder and social anxiety disorder [2]. On average, assessment with the YI-4R scale lasted for approximately 45 minutes.…”

“…Anxiety disorders are among the first psychiatric disorders to emerge in childhood and adolescence [1,2], and are the sixth leading cause of illness and disability among adolescents aged 10-14 years and the ninth for adolescents aged 15-19 years globally [1]. Anxiety disorders are common, with global estimates for lifetime prevalence of 9.9-16.7% (inter-quartile range) [3].…”

“…Anxiety disorders are common, with global estimates for lifetime prevalence of 9.9-16.7% (inter-quartile range) [3]. Anxiety disorders, as classified by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fifth Edition (DSM-5), include generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder, specific phobia, and panic disorder [2]. The causes of anxiety disorders are not fully known but environmental, developmental, and biological risk factors in early life have been identified [2].…”