Curbing the Risk: The Importance of the Early Identification of Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders are a classification of mental illnesses that affect roughly twenty percent of American adults. Many researchers work to demonstrate the importance of diagnosing anxiety early in life, in the hope that it can be efficiently treated. A recent article in The New York Times, written by Catherine Saint Louis, focuses on a novel method that may be helpful in determining if a child may be at risk for anxiety disorders. Louis highlights recent studies carried out by Vanderbilt University, which show that children who suffer from chronic stomachaches are at a significant risk to develop anxiety disorders later in life. Louis notes how “half of the teenagers and young adults who had had functional abdominal pain as children developed an anxiety disorder” (Saint Louis, 2013). This research provides both physicians and parents with a process of better classifying whether or not a child will grow up to develop anxiety, which will then allow mental health professionals to start treatment earlier. However, while this is a significant indicator, it is not the only symptom commonly developed by children who go on to suffer from anxiety later in life. 

Credit: schoolphobia.net

Children who experience extreme shyness early in life are at a greatly increased risk of developing anxiety disorders during adolescence and adulthood.  This subject was the spotlight of a recent talk given at Loyola University by Ned Kalin, M.D., who describes that this shy, or inhibited temperament can be identified by as young as two years of age, and thus is of major importance to the treatment of the disorder. Kalin went on to explain the importance of properly treating the disorder as early as possible. He stated how anxiety not only increases the effects of other disorders, such as schizophrenia, but it can also put people at risk for developing addictive habits and depression. What was most surprising about Dr. Kalin’s talk was hearing about the inability of parents to realize that their children were experiencing these social problems.

Dr. Kalin states that if parents do not recognize the disorder early enough, its treatment becomes increasingly more difficult to accomplish. This issue is also addressed by Louis, who states that, “anxious children tend to be good children who are concerned about doing their best…and parents may be flummoxed by the suggestion that such a child could be grappling with a mental health issue” (Saint Louis, 2013). Again, without early and accurate identification, it becomes increasingly difficult for physicians to treat the disorder, and it is clear that a large portion of this responsibility falls into the hands of the parents. Hopefully, with the advancement of clinical research, parents will be able to better recognize their child’s anxiety and thus fewer children will grow up to develop the disorder.

Works Cited

Saint Louis, Catherine. "Risk of Adult Anxiety Seen in Children’s Stomachaches." The New York Times. The New York Times, 12 Aug. 2013. Web. 25 Apr. 2014.