Anxiety disorders are among the most common type of abnormal behavior especially to adolescents. Although the exact cause of anxiety disorders is still unknown, there is an increasing proof of helpful treatments (Boydston, Chih-Juihsiao, & Varley, 2012).
According to Boydston et al. (2012), there are different methods on how to assess anxiety disorders in the primary care setting. The first method would be conducting an interview. The clinical interview is considered to be the most important diagnostic tool in the assessing anxiety. There are multiple sources for the interview such as the parents. Parents can provide information on how the child’s performance at school or at home; however, with teenagers, they should have the chance to meet the provider because they have the best sense of their experiences. The best way to start an interview is having open-ended questions about how things are going at school or at home. Next, there is a need to explore when and how the symptoms initially started. Furthermore, the clinical history of the adolescent, the history of the family on anxiety and other mental disorders must be checked. The adolescents who may have or suspected to have an anxiety disorder should be given an assessment for core symptoms from other psychiatric categories specifically, they should be asked about having depressed mood (Boydston, Chih-Juihsiao, & Varley, 2012).
Boydston et al. (2012) discussed another method which is rating scales. One of the valuable tools in the assessment of anxiety is self-report questionnaires. The combined use of a "broadband" psychiatric rating scale with a relevant symptom-specific scale is recommended. Broadband rating scales are useful to screen common psychological dysfunction and to assess signs and symptoms that can be found in major types of mental disorders. Anxiety-specific rating scales probe more specifically into the adolescent's level of anxiety and specific types of anxiety with which the adolescent struggles (Boydston, Chih-Juihsiao, & Varley, 2012).
Boydston et al. (2012) introduced a third method using the medical assessment and the purpose of it is to exclude the anxiety disorder which is caused by a medical condition and to give baseline assessment of other somatic symptoms associated with anxiety. Thorough physical exam is suggested, but further studies should also be used based on the adolescent's examination, history and symptoms. A lot of these medical conditions imitate some of the core features of anxiety or can cause anxiety. However, there are also risks related with extreme medical evaluation, with frequent requesting of tests and recommendation to other specialists so one must be cautious in having too much medical evaluation (Boydston, Chih-Juihsiao, & Varley, 2012).
According to Boydston et al. (2012), the treatment for anxiety disorder in adolescents usually consists of a combination of education about anxiety, family therapy, group therapy, individual therapy and medication. The component of the treatment plan will be determined by the severity, type and functional effect of anxiety and by the preference of the patient and family. When the adolescent has mild anxiety the treatment should begin with psychotherapy. Evidences show that cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) works for different types of anxiety disorders but other types like psychodynamic therapy are still considered to be effective. If the treatment with therapy has been found to be ineffective, medication specifically for anxiety must be considered when an adolescent suffers moderate to severe anxiety. Furthermore, return visits at regular intervals are still needed to be able to assess the response to the treatment. For clients who did not respond to the treatment as expected or the symptoms worsen even with proper care, referral for more assessment and treatment is highly recommended (Boydston, Chih-Juihsiao, & Varley, 2012).
According to Boydston et al. (2012), anxiety may or may not occur over a lifetime, and most of the adolescents with anxiety are most probably at risk for substance-use and mental health problems. Early detection and treatment of anxiety can make teenagers more functional and they will certainly enjoy their adolescence. Lastly, the overall course of the adolescent into and through adulthood should be improved as well (Boydston, Chih-Juihsiao, & Varley, 2012).
Reference:
Boydston, L., Chih-Juihsiao, R., & Varley, C.(2012).Anxiety disorder in adolescents. Contemporary Pediatrics, 29(7), 36-42.
