Provided by David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D.
Surgeon General of the United States of America
Chapter 3: Children and Mental Health
Overview of Mental Disorders in Children
Anxiety Disorders
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Children with generalized anxiety disorder (or overanxious disorder of
childhood) worry excessively about all manner of upcoming events and
occurrences. They worry unduly about their academic performance or sporting
activities, about being on time, or even about natural disasters such as
earthquakes. The worry persists even when the child is not being judged and has
always performed well in the past. Because of their anxiety, children may be
overly conforming, perfectionist, or unsure of themselves. They tend to redo
tasks if there are any imperfections. They tend to seek approval and need
constant reassurance about their performance and their anxieties (DSM-IV). The
1-year prevalence rate for all generalized anxiety disorder sufferers of all
ages is approximately 3 percent. The lifetime prevalence rate is about 5 percent
(DSM-IV).
About half of all adults seeking treatment for this disorder report that it
began in childhood or adolescence, but the proportion of children with this
disorder who retain the problem into adulthood is unknown. The remission rate is
not thought to be as high as that of separation anxiety disorder.
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