Anxiety in children aged 5 to 7 and 9 years and younger

Increased anxiety in a child: signs

The second most common problem after behavioral disorders in children is increased anxiety. Its signs are found in 8% of children. And unfortunately, this figure is growing.

What is anxiety? These are episodic manifestations of fear. Each age has its own, and we’ll talk about it below. Anxiety is an absolutely normal manifestation if it is caused by specific circumstances. If it is present in the “background”, we can talk about pathology.

In other words, any child can become agitated and begin to worry if some exciting event occurs in his life, even if it is pleasant, but in ordinary life he is calm and joyful. A child with signs of increased anxiety practically cannot relax, and constantly experiences anxiety - when he is in a familiar environment, when visiting, on a holiday, in the park, when a stranger addresses him, etc.

The main difficulty in diagnosing increased anxiety in children is that while they are small, they cannot accurately tell about the problem, and closer to adolescence they can persistently deny them. Here are some signs of increased anxiety in your child that you should be wary of:

Behavioral:

• fussiness;
• motor restlessness;
• repetitive obsessive movements - finger sucking, hair curling, nail biting;
• sleep disorders;
• stiffness;
• panic fear of the new, of any change;
• diffidence;
• refusal of new activities;
• seriousness;
• reluctance to stand out and desire for silence;
• frequent fears for no reason;
• low self-esteem.

Somatic signs

(the child may not talk about them, and they may also be associated with certain diseases).

If you suspect increased anxiety in your child, you should focus on a combination of somatic and behavioral signs.

• hot flashes or chills;
• tremor or shaking;
• cardiopalmus;
• chest discomfort or pain;
• feeling of a lump in the throat;
• difficulty breathing;
• fainting or dizziness;
• muscle tension;
• numbness or tingling;
• feeling of “emptiness in the head”;
• a feeling of the unreality of objects or the separation of one’s own “I”.

American psychologists P. Baker and M. Alvord advise paying attention to whether the child’s behavior has the following signs: constant anxiety, difficulty, sometimes inability to concentrate on anything, muscle tension (for example, in the face, neck), irritability, sleep disturbance.

Basic techniques

To determine the presence of disturbing conditions in children of preschool and primary school age, a large number of various methods have been developed:

• "Ladder". The method is aimed at determining the level of self-esteem of a preschooler, how he sees the attitude of peers, parents, and adults towards him. The child’s attitude is very closely related to the disturbing conditions that haunt him. To carry out you need: a sheet of paper, cardboard, pencil, scissors. A ladder with seven steps is drawn on the sheet. The steps are the same, except for the third, which is wider. A human figure is drawn and cut out on cardboard. The child is asked to place the figurine on a specific step. The figures represent the child himself, the teacher, the educator, and other good and bad guys. The level of self-esteem is determined by the placement of the figurine on the step. The technique is used in diagnosing anxiety. It allows you to determine the impact on disturbing states of self-esteem and relationships with other people.
• Test "Fears in houses". Two houses are drawn on the sheet. The child is given a task: the “scary” and “non-scary” fears need to be distributed among the houses. Read 29 fears. The kid distributes them into houses. Based on sorting, objects that cause fear and anxiety in the child are determined.
• Choose the right person. The preschooler is asked to look at 14 pictures depicting various situations from a child’s life. The pictures show a baby with a face that is not drawn. The tested child needs to choose a “happy” or “sad” face that he associates with the situation in the picture. Based on the baby’s reaction to specific situations, the presence of anxiety and the sources of its development are determined.
• "Drawing of a Man." Materials needed: a sheet of paper and a pencil. The child is given the task of drawing a person without specifications, comments or explanations. When the figure is drawn, the child is asked who he drew. The drawing is analyzed, and the presence of anxiety in the baby is determined by the bright details.

• "Lamb in a Bottle" The technique is aimed at diagnosing the child’s psychological self-perception in the family. Materials: two sheets of paper and a pencil. On one sheet of paper, the child draws a lamb in a bottle. On the second sheet, you need to write down how the lamb feels, what he dreams about, what worries him. If the child does not know how to write, he is asked to answer these statements about the lamb. Based on the drawing and answers, the baby’s condition, the presence of anxiety, and the characteristics of its expression are determined.

• "Draw your fear." The child is asked to draw his fears on a piece of paper. After completing the task, the child is asked to comment on the drawing. Based on the drawing and answers, the objects of the child’s anxiety are determined.

• "Non-existent animal." The child is asked to draw a non-existent animal and give it a name. The child is asked to tell about the animal, what he loves, his fears and worries. Based on the drawing and answers, an idea of ​​the disturbing conditions is formed.

• "Cactus". A test to determine the child’s emotional state, the presence of aggressiveness, and its direction. The child is asked to draw a cactus. After completing the drawing, a conversation is held with the child aimed at clarifying the details of the drawing. Based on the drawing and answers, an emotional portrait of the baby is drawn up.
• "Locomotive".

A special feature of the methods for children is their presentation in the form of manifestations that are understandable and natural for children - playing, drawing, composing a complex object from simple parts, etc.

In some cases, they are also used for teenagers.

Test for a child's anxiety level

If you notice signs of increased anxiety in your child, we recommend that you conduct a small test to clarify.

Questionnaire

Lavrentieva G. P. and Titarenko T. M.

Answer yes if you agree with the statement and no if the statement does not apply to your son or daughter:

1. Your child cannot work for a long time without getting tired 2. Has difficulty concentrating 3. Any task causes unnecessary anxiety 4. Is very tense and constrained in completing tasks 5. Is embarrassed more often than others 6. Often talks about tense situations 7. As a rule, blushes or turns pale in an unfamiliar environment 8. Complains that he has terrible dreams 9. His hands are usually cold and wet 10. Often suffers from upset bowel movements 11. Sweats a lot when he is excited 12. Does not have a good appetite 13. Has difficulty falling asleep, sleeps restlessly 14. Shy, many things cause him fear 15. Usually restless, easily upset 16. Often cannot hold back tears 17. Does not tolerate waiting well 18. Does not like to take on new things 19. Not confident in himself and his abilities 20. Afraid to face challenges difficulties

For each positive answer, count 1 point:

If the total number of points reaches 15-20 points, then your child has increased anxiety; 7-14 points—average; 1-6 points—low

Causes of anxiety in children

Most psychologists are confident that the main reason for increased anxiety in a child is the anxiety of the adults who surround him. Moreover, this is not a hereditary trait, but a feature of upbringing. Here are some parenting styles that can lead to increased anxiety in a child.

• Overprotection. Such parents strive to protect their child from any threats, including imaginary ones. As a result of such overprotection, the child feels defenseless in front of the world and inability to achieve success on his own.
• Increased requirements. These parents have either achieved little in this life and want their children to make their dreams come true, or, on the contrary, climb high up the social ladder and demand that the child meet high standards. In both cases, the personality of the little person and his true needs are ignored. The child is afraid of not living up to high expectations, of losing the love of his parents, and this creates anxiety in him
• Authoritarian style. Such parents themselves were raised in Spartan conditions, and they raise their offspring in the same way. There are only responsibilities and no feelings. The child's emotions are rejected, fears are ridiculed, dreams are devalued. This creates low self-esteem, lack of self-confidence and, as a result, increased anxiety.

Why do children experience anxiety?

Children are constantly exposed to new things, and this can make them anxious. This process is completely normal until the anxiety becomes constant. If children react with fear to everything new and are prone to all sorts of experiences, this may indicate chronic anxiety.

Often, anxious children have trouble noticing the thoughts that are bothering them. To do this, they need the help and support of their parents - children learn to overcome anxious moments thanks to the way you train them. And in the future, when faced with difficult situations, they will feel more confident.

It happens that parents, anticipating the child’s fears, try to protect him from them. When children suffer from chronic anxiety, parents can get caught in a negative cycle and only make the problem worse. Therefore, in this case you should behave very carefully and carefully.

Anxiety disorder in school-age children (7 to 10 years)

Starting from school, the social interactions of the child himself are added to the main cause of increased anxiety - unfavorable family upbringing. If he has learned from his parents that he lacks confidence in his own abilities and in himself, he may begin to worry about a possible loss of respect from peers, teachers, fear of not meeting the expectations of adults and fear of punishment, conflicts with friends if he cannot meet their demands and desires.

At the same time, girls worry more about relationships with other people, while boys are more concerned about punishment and violence.

Girls, having done an “unseemly” act, worry that the teacher or mother will think badly of them, and their friends will stop playing with them. In the same situation, boys are likely to fear that adults will punish or beat them.

Correction of anxiety in children

If you see that your child suffers from increased anxiety and want to help him, you need to remember that this is a complex work:

• Reconsider your relationship with the world; if you or your husband are anxious and distrustful of the future, it is unlikely that you will be able to rid your child of anxiety
• Change your parenting style if you recognize it in one of the above
• Perhaps you should consult a psychologist in order to work on yourself to become calmer and more confident, then the child will get rid of anxiety even without outside interference.

Important “Being unhappy people, you will never be able to build a relationship with your child so that he is happy. And if the parents are happy, then there is no need to do anything special.”

M. Labkovsky

Here are some specific techniques for helping your anxious child that will help them and teach them some ways to cope with anxious thoughts and stress:

Trick #1: Give your fear a name.

The first psychological tactic is to help defuse the child’s anxiety and work on relieving fear.

The way it works is quite simple. All you do is ask your baby to come up with a silly name for the unpleasant feelings he is experiencing. It is very important that the name is as non-threatening as possible. This will help remove seriousness and reduce fear.

Once children find a name they are happy with, the next step is to tell the emotions to go away. For example, if he decides to call his emotion "Stupid Donkey", he might say something like this:

"Leave me alone, Stupid Donkey!"

“Stupid donkey, go away, I’m tired of you!”

By giving his feelings a stupid name and talking to them out loud, he will take away the power from those emotions. And then the child will be able to calm down much faster, and what is very important, having learned this technique, he will be able to use it even when you are not around, and independently regulate his feelings.

Technique #2: Listen

When someone tells you about their problems, including our child, the first instinct is usually to help them with it immediately. However, this impulse and these feelings are not so useful when dealing with children (and often with adults too). They act less rationally than adults, and their anxieties are not as clearly expressed. Therefore, using logic to explain that everything is fine does not always work as we would like.

Trying to show or explain to a little person that nothing bad is actually happening and there is no reason to be afraid will actually increase his level of anxiety, since all he will understand is that they don’t believe him, and no one cares about his fears. His feelings and emotions still, due to his age, do not lend themselves to logic and reasonable explanations, and the fear will not go away. Instead, try to actively listen to your child while you show affection. For example, use physical contact: kissing or hugging, this will help calm his feelings. In general, if your child feels listened to, heard, protected, and the parent is available, his anxiety will disappear almost immediately and problem solving will be easier.

Trick #3: Give your child a “magic” calming object

Various studies show that it is possible to associate an object with a specific emotion. So if your little family member has a special stuffed toy or security blanket, for example, use it to your advantage and to relieve stress!

Recent research shows that sleeping with a stuffed animal helps children with night terrors. The same principle applies in many other situations of relieving any nightmare. If he's scared on the first day of school, why not let him take something with him that makes him happy? If the object is quite small, other children won't even know they have it.

This technique works even better if you choose a “defender” together; there can be several of them: one for each situation. Ask them to choose an item that will help them in times of anxiety. Thus, the child will be more involved in this process, and the effect will increase many times over.

Tips for parents

Here are some more psychological tips for comprehensive work with anxiety and fears in children:

The basis of everything will be work in these three areas:

1. Increased self-esteem:

• Call your child by name often and maintain eye contact when speaking.
• Increase the number of tactile contacts. Affectionate touches help restore trust in the world.
• Celebrate his successes often and preferably publicly (for example, at a family dinner). Remember that there is always a reason for praise. It is enough to notice the little things that your child does better than yesterday.
• Organize parties at home and invite your classmates to them. Even your presence in another room will have a beneficial effect on an anxious child. He will feel more confident than all alone at school, and this will gradually change the opinion of his peers about him. Believe me, this is extremely important for him, even if he doesn’t admit it.
• Practice heart-to-heart conversations. This should be the time when you completely belong to the child and listen to him with all your attention, without being distracted by the phone or other family members. The time when he can tell you everything that worries and excites him. Your undivided attention will show him how important his feelings and he are to you.
• Separate the child's actions from the child himself. Don't tell him that he is bad if he got a bad mark and offended his younger sister. Discuss and condemn the act itself: “ I love you, you are very good, but now you did something wrong

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2. Teaching a child coping methods:

• Set an example of positive expectations for the future and demonstrate confident behavior.
• Teach him the methods listed in Chapter. 6
• Discuss learning and communication difficulties with your child, and jointly develop a strategy for moving towards success.
• Teach him breathing techniques and mindfulness

3. Relieve muscle tension:

• Create rituals, for example, every Saturday we dance,
• Give your child a massage before bed - it will also strengthen your relationship
• Play sports with him - it helps relieve tension and get rid of stress, and in addition, brings him closer together.
• Hug and kiss as much as possible - children (and adults, too) need tactile contact

Introduction

Anxiety disorders (AD) are one of the most common reasons for visiting doctors and are often encountered in the clinical practice of pediatricians and pediatric neurologists.
It should be noted that until now, some specialists in the process of monitoring children and adolescents with TD continue to use such formulations as “neurotic conditions”, “neurotic reactions”, “neurosis-like syndrome”, and often incorrectly use the concepts of “asthenia”, “neurasthenia” , "asthenic neurosis". The listed terms do not correspond to the definitions of TR in the classifications of recent years [1, 2], as well as to modern ideas about the nature of TR. According to epidemiological studies, the overall incidence of all TDs in children and adolescents varies from 9 to 32% and is characterized by an increase as children grow older [3]. In the majority of adult patients with emotional and affective disorders, the first symptoms manifested in childhood or adolescence, and these were manifestations of TD [4, 5]. Thus, the formation of the clinical picture of TR occurs gradually. However, in many children and adolescents, TR remains unidentified for a long time, which leads to a lack of specialized care and drug therapy, and subsequently, the chronicity of TR.

Let us dwell on the features of the manifestations of TD in children and adolescents. It should be noted that some patients may simultaneously experience symptoms of not one, but several forms of TR. In addition, TD can act as both an independent and concomitant condition in many diseases of the nervous system in children, including disorders of speech development and school skills, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, primary headaches (especially tension headaches), epilepsy, consequences perinatal lesions of the nervous system, traumatic brain injuries, neuroinfections, autism spectrum disorder, etc.

TR is a group of syndromes of emotional disorders that are characterized by intense and prolonged anxiety, subjective feelings of anxiety, tension, gloomy forebodings, the experience of damage, as well as the appearance of unusually strong fear - irrational and not consistent with the content of the situations or objects that cause it [4, 6–9] .