Treating Anxiety Disorders in Youth

Tolerable levels of anxiety and fear are a part of typical development for young people. Yet, fear and anxiety can become problematic and impede some young people’s abilities to function and can even advance to the point of a disorder. Separation anxiety disorder, selective mutism disorder, specific phobia, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia, and generalized anxiety disorder are categorized under anxiety disorders in the fifth edition of The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013). Anxiety disorders are among the most commonly-diagnosed psychiatric disorders in youth, and the prevalence rates for adolescents are between 15-20% (Beesdo, Dipl-Pysch, & Pine, 2009).