Anxiety is a problem that plagues people of all ages in many ways. In children, it can pose some serious issues when left unaddressed—but there are several effective ways of dealing with it that can make a big difference.
Here are some useful resources you can take a look at if your child is suffering from an anxiety disorder or other related challenges.
Articles, Research & Blogs
A doctor’s guide for parents and teens: The organization KidsHealth features doctor-reviewed resources that give excellent overviews of the topic that are geared towards various perspectives—including parents and teens. These posts are very reader-friendly and easy to follow. Their relatable story examples make this a very useful starting point when reading up on this subject.
What anxiety disorders are really like: This anxiety section from the Child Mind Institute links to dozens of longer-form articles about a wide variety of childhood anxiety-related topics. There are in-depth pages covering everything from Back to School Anxiety, to When Kids Refuse to Go to School, to How Anxiety Leads to Problem Behavior, to How to Talk to Kids About School Shootings—and also includes sub-sections where you can read more about very specific forms of anxiety, such as phobias and selective mutism.
For the many children who deal with social anxiety, What is Social Anxiety is an excellent resource for parents to read. It breaks down what actually happens when one develops this kind of anxiety disorder, and how to tell when certain behaviors are serious enough to require further attention. Also full of useful examples, the information discussed here gets into the mind of the child and can give you a clearer understanding of what they are feeling during an anxious episode.
Deep dives into numerous topics: If you are wondering about a specific aspect of anxiety that you’d like to delve into more deeply, the Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA) has a plethora of materials and articles on its website, ranging from topics like innovative treatment approaches to stories of personal experience in battling the disorder. You can browse dozens of relevant articles at this link.
Unique resources designed for parents: WorryWiseKids is an entire website devoted to understanding and coping with childhood anxiety issues. Created by Dr. Tamar Chansky, it hosts user-friendly pages summarizing basic information about most of the major aspects of childhood anxiety—including red flags and treatment options. It also gets into some unique and less often discussed areas, such as children’s rights at school and sample scripts for how to speak to your child about these issues.
Video reports and educational toys: The Child Anxiety Network is another website devoted solely to the issue of childhood anxiety, created by Dr. Donna Pincus of Boston University. In addition to useful resources such as Frequently Asked Questions and book recommendations on the topic (including children’s books), this site also provides links to media reports and video clips where Dr. Pincus discusses topics like panic disorders, extreme child phobias, and circumstances that can intensify a child’s struggle. The website also lists educational toys and games that might help children and their families cope with their experiences.
Books Worth Reading
For more thorough reading on childhood anxiety and related topics, here are several books we recommend checking out:
- Growing Up Brave: Expert Strategies for Helping Your Child Overcome Fear, Stress, and Anxiety
- If Your Adolescent Has an Anxiety Disorder
- Overcoming School Anxiety: How to Help Your Child Deal with Separation, Tests, Homework, Bullies, Math Phobia, and Other Worries
- Anxiety Relief for Kids: On-the-spot Strategies to Help Your Child Overcome Worry, Panic & Avoidance
- Helping Your Anxious Teen: Positive Parenting Strategies to Help Your Teen Beat Anxiety, Stress, and Worry
We all experience some degree of fear and anxiety from time to time—but when it develops into a disorder, it is very serious and should be addressed. We hope these resources can help shed some light on what your child may be going through, and what options you may wish to consider. If you’d like additional strategies to help your child overcome anxiety, please reach out to the Empirian Therapy team. We are here to help you and your child.