Childhood anxiety is on the rise for a variety of reasons
Giuseppe Di Bella/Millennium Images, UK
Childhood can be a time of great anxiety. It's when we learn to make friends and how to cope when friendships sour, when we first feel the pressure of schoolwork and exams, and when the difficulties of adolescence begin.
However, recent research shows that childhood anxiety is on the rise, with more children feeling anxious today than just a few years ago. As researchers begin to investigate why, a complex picture emerges that includes everything from the COVID-19 pandemic to social media. Thankfully, there are ways to help children to ensure they limit potential long-term effects.
Evidence that children have high levels of anxiety comes from an analysis of 29 studies published in 2020-2021 among 80,000 young people around the world. it is, 20.5% of children There were clinically significant symptoms of anxiety, and girls and older youth were particularly affected.
Of course, 2020 and 2021 were defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, and many people of all ages felt an increase in anxiety (anxiety has actually increased over the past decade – but why? ).But before the pandemic, it was generally accepted Prevalence among young people is 11.6%From a study called Survey of 37% of Finnish adolescents 14 to 18 years old as of 2015. Signs that anxiety diagnoses are on the rise among young people are appearing even earlier…
Source: www.newscientist.com
