About this Research Topic
Anxiety disorders are the most frequent mental health problem in childhood and adolescence. Particularly prominent, due to their prevalence and their implications during this period of development, are separation anxiety disorder (especially associated with school rejection), specific phobia, and social anxiety disorder/social phobia. Although panic disorder, agoraphobia, and generalized anxiety disorder start at later ages, a significant percentage of cases begin in adolescence. In view of the high prevalence of anxiety disorders in childhood and adolescence, the persistence of many of these disorders, and their serious repercussions including the risk of suicide, progress must be made in the knowledge and intervention of anxiety disorders.
Findings on nature, prevalence, development and course, and risk and prognostic factors will contribute to a better understanding of these disorders in childhood and adolescence. In the framework of multi-source and multi-method assessment, the development of valid and reliable instruments for the child, the parents, teachers, and other caregivers will help researchers and professionals to analyze data and plan treatment. Although there are effective therapies such as cognitive and behavioral therapies, the percentage of children and adolescents that do not meet the diagnostic criteria for anxiety disorder at the end of treatment is between 33% and 88%, compared to 0% to 38% of wait-listed controls. The response rate for the posttest and the follow-up together was two thirds.
Of interest in the field of psychopathology, psychological assessment and treatment of anxiety disorders in childhood and adolescence, are qualitative (systematic) and quantitative (meta-analysis) reviews,
epidemiological studies, descriptive studies, psychometric studies including cross-cultural validation of instruments, case studies, treatment assessment studies, both open trials and randomized controlled trials. We also welcome articles about developments in new therapies, including proposals from the transdiagnostic approach and information and communication technology-assisted therapies, in order to alleviate the suffering of children and their families caused by anxiety disorders.
Findings on nature, prevalence, development and course, and risk and prognostic factors will contribute to a better understanding of these disorders in childhood and adolescence. In the framework of multi-source and multi-method assessment, the development of valid and reliable instruments for the child, the parents, teachers, and other caregivers will help researchers and professionals to analyze data and plan treatment. Although there are effective therapies such as cognitive and behavioral therapies, the percentage of children and adolescents that do not meet the diagnostic criteria for anxiety disorder at the end of treatment is between 33% and 88%, compared to 0% to 38% of wait-listed controls. The response rate for the posttest and the follow-up together was two thirds.
Of interest in the field of psychopathology, psychological assessment and treatment of anxiety disorders in childhood and adolescence, are qualitative (systematic) and quantitative (meta-analysis) reviews,
epidemiological studies, descriptive studies, psychometric studies including cross-cultural validation of instruments, case studies, treatment assessment studies, both open trials and randomized controlled trials. We also welcome articles about developments in new therapies, including proposals from the transdiagnostic approach and information and communication technology-assisted therapies, in order to alleviate the suffering of children and their families caused by anxiety disorders.
Keywords: phobia, psychopathology, assessment, treatment, children, adolescents, anxiety
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