Shyness, anxiety, and worry in Kindergarten-aged children can be indicators for potential anxiety disorders
A University of British Columbia research team has developed a simple two-question test to screen Kindergarten-aged children for future anxiety disorders—the most commonly reported mental health concern among children. The screening questions, which asked parents about shyness, fear, and anxiety in their children, had an overall accuracy of over 80% in diagnosing anxiety disorders in young children.
Anxiety is associated with a number of psychosocial problems including poor academic achievement, school avoidance, poor self-esteem, greater peer rejection, and impaired family functioning. In addition, anxiety disorders are often precursors to other mental health problems, most notably depression and substance use disorders.
“The good news is that anxiety disorders are among the easiest to treat and the best way to treat these disorders is when kids start school,” says Lynn Miller, an associate professor at UBC. She recently presented the research at the American Educational Research Association conference held in Vancouver, British Columbia.
We speak with University of British Columbia associate professor Lynn Miller.
