Children and adolescents' anxiety disorders

Anxiety disorders were long underestimated in children by healthcare professionals, but they are now better diagnosed. They account for the most frequent psychiatric diagnosis between 6 and 18 years of age, with differences in prevalence or risk factors related to the clinical forms. Different clinical subtypes of anxiety disorders are detailed in this article: separation anxiety, specific phobia, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress syndrome, and obsessional-compulsive disorder. The repercussions of anxiety are often major on the psychological, relational, and developmental dimensions, as well as academics. Refusing school for reasons of anxiety is one of the possible and severe consequences of anxiety disorders, possibly resulting in total removal from school and the risk of early and permanent cessation of schooling. Other frequent complications are depression, and substance abuse during adolescence, as well as chronification of the disorders until adulthood. Indeed, adults affected by anxiety disorders frequently place the onset of their disorders at the beginning of adolescence. It is therefore essential to diagnose these disorders as soon as possible to set up an adapted therapeutic strategy. The main first-line treatment currently recommended in the pediatric population is cognitive and behavioral therapy, the efficacy of which has been the most clearly demonstrated. Psychoactive drugs can be used as a complement in severe or resistant cases, mainly serotonin recapture inhibitors. (C) 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.