Cognitive behavioural psychotherapy for anxiety disorders in children and adolescents with particular focus on generalised anxiety disorder

Abstract

The paper presents the issue of anxiety disorders among children and adolescents with particular focus on generalised anxiety disorder and the use of cognitive behavioural psychotherapy in the affected patients. Data on epidemiology, aetiology and diagnosis of anxiety disorders, as well as the specificity and limitations of cognitive behavioural therapy among younger patients are presented. Statistical data show that the group of affected children and adolescents is growing. The diagnosis of generalised anxiety in children and adolescents may take time. It requires careful collection of history and observation of behaviours in different functioning domains. It may happen that symptoms indicative of generalised anxiety disorders are underestimated or missed by adults from the child’s immediate environment. Early and accurate diagnosis is important also because the disorder may give rise to depressive disorders or contribute to suicide attempts. Research shows that cognitive behavioural psychotherapy, often aided by pharmacotherapy, is one of the most effective and popular forms of therapy in children and adolescents with generalised anxiety disorders. The paper describes the theoretical models of the disorder, as well as its implications for psychotherapy and current research trends. Cognitive behavioural therapeutic programs intended for children and adolescents with anxiety disorders are also presented. The literature review shows that studies and protocols devoted exclusively to the treatment of generalised anxiety in children and adolescents are still missing. Therefore, treatment protocols for adults, which are appropriately adjusted to age and cognitive development of the child, are often used, especially for older children.