The Good, The Bad and the Ugly of Anxiety in Children…
Myelin`s quick tips to spot early signs and treat the disorder.
We have seen a significant rise in mental health awareness in the previous years, and it has probably set a good precedent. Mental illnesses are a serious concern, not just among adults but among children too. The ability to manage one’s thoughts, emotions, behaviours, and social interactions are mental health's primary determinant.
A few years ago, the World Economic Forum divulged data on mental health statistics worldwide. It was rather shocking to see that an estimated 275 million people suffer from anxiety globally, of which 62% are females. These statistics may also indicate that children could be among the affected, showing mild to moderate anxiety symptoms across ages.
Some anxiety may actually be good.
The good part about this feeling is it acts as a natural alarm. Feeling anxious before an exam, delivering a speech in front of a crowd or appearing for an interview is absolutely normal. Psychologists also believe that feeling anxious in such circumstances also helps us perform better.
The BAD and the UGLY of it…
The larger concern is when one feels anxious all the time. That is when anxiety becomes an issue for real, and there is probably more to do than only being aware of it. Of course, for some, anxiety may not relate to a real mental illness, but going by the alarming numbers, we certainly believe this topic deserves attention.
In this article, we are especially focusing on anxiety issues among children.
Children are vulnerable and often don’t know how to seek help. Being in the Edtech space, we believe that schools could play a vital role in prioritizing mental health support as a part of the curriculum. School staff is on the frontline and can, in fact, be the key to identify early signs.
The COVID-19 crisis is also contributing to the mental health concerns reported among schools. Children have been forced to stay indoors and adapt to the remote learning norms since the previous year. While this looks like a concern to the parents, it also is a challenge for schools.
Parents alone cannot handle the pressure a child is feeling during this crisis. It is difficult to say if everything children feel can be associated with the pandemic. But what it actually does is impact a child’s learning process while the existing academic pressure continues at school.
What causes anxiety in children?
Lets, just face it. Some children are naturally more anxious than others, and some may develop anxiety due to their circumstances. Children who face anxiety may not be able to speak openly, especially in schools.
Factors such as these could be the possible triggers for anxiety in children.
- Arguments between parents, family separations, living with single parents/caregivers
- Frequent school/city relocation
- Bullying at school
- Fights with friends
- Poor grades
- Excessive competition or performance pressure
- Physical or mental abuse
- Being around toxic environments
Catching the early signs
- Mood fluctuations: This may be very common in children. Children regularly express discomfort or displeasure when not happy or in difficult situations. Acting grumpy, throwing a tantrum, feeling sad or isolated, and anger can be common mood fluctuations.
- Frequent bathroom breaks: With a lot of mixed feelings, children may feel the need to use the bathroom very frequently or complain of losing control
- Complaints of a tummy ache, feeling unwell before going to school: Generally, this may be a very common complaint on the first day of school or during exams. However, watch out for frequent excuses like these and see if they have a pattern.
- Sleep troubles and nightmares: If children are feeling emotionally disturbed, they may resent sleeping. The first thing that anxiety impacts are the sleep routine
- Feeling irritable, cranky or angry: Frequent outbursts of anger, constant complaints, throwing fits all add to a rush of negative emotions.
- Panic attacks: Some children may encounter panic attacks when extremely scared or feel like losing control. These could be sudden episodes that range from mild to intense severity. Signs such as profuse sweating, stomach cramps, chills, nausea, trembling or chest pain are common.
- Thoughts of self-destruction: One way of dealing with mental stress is causing self-harm. Often children act at the spur of the moment, and extreme anger can result in punishing oneself, self-injury or self-destruction. If parents or schools notice such behaviours, immediate attention and action must be taken.
Let’s address the elephant in the room.
Mental health is highly stigmatized in our society. Let alone grownups; children may be dealing with it considering the recent circumstances. As adults, parents and caregivers, we encourage everyone to be more sensitive and try detecting the early signs. The pandemic has caused enough physical suffering to many, and adding to emotional turmoil would be disparaging.
In this article, we share quick tips for teachers, parents and caregivers to address some of these concerns that can help a child deal with their anxiety and gain more self-control.
1. Stay calm and avoid judgment: A child can confide in you as a parent, caregiver or teacher. He/she is often looking for support when he/she takes the first step of disclosing the problem. Avoid being judgmental. Encourage the child to openly speak about the issue and be practical while offering advice
2. Probe children to discuss their problems but do not put words in their mouths: Children may or may not accurately articulate the problem. They may be scared to share. As an adult, ask open-ended questions to help them think through their problem and ask them to cite examples. Once the child shares his/ her issues, probe him/her further to think what kind of a reaction/solution would be the best fit for the problem. Dodge feeding new problems or words into the child’s mind. This may trigger his/her thought process and be convinced that he/she really `does have a problem.`
3. Praise and reward: This is a very successful practice. When a child faces his fears or tackles a difficult situation, praise him/her for his/her achievement. In some cases, certain rewards can also be given out. This will keep the child motivated and enable him/her to open up
4. There is NO ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution: Every child is different and special. What may work as a good solution for one may not work for another. As a parent or teacher, explore and tailor solutions to help a child find peace and deal with his/her mental challenges
5. Counselling & Cognitive Behaviour Therapy: If you are a school staff member, it may be good to hire an in-house child psychologist or a counsellor for the school. These trained and experienced professionals understand child psychology best. They will be able to talk children through their thoughts and emotions and point them in the right direction in the early stages and recommend therapies if needed
6. Work as a team: Parents and schools should work together in a crisis. Remember, it is equally important for the teacher to be involved with the parents as she/he is the child`s real mentor
This great video by El Sketches explains how children can be made aware of anxiety and try to seek help themselves.
EL Sketches creates social and emotional learning content for teachers and students.
Encouraging children to talk about their fears, traumas openly, and difficulties should be a priority at home and school. This will ensure they build a good rapport with their teachers and parents and confide in them when necessary. It is never too late to talk about mental health after all!
Read more from Myelin: Mental illness in children. How can we help?
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If you are interested to know more about how myelin is helping schools to become more efficient, visit: www.myelin.co.in or write to us at info@myelin.co.in
