Test Your Knowledge

In many cases, parents and children are unaware that the child is suffering from general anxiety or an anxiety disorder and may visit a physician because of the child's physical symptoms. For example, parents of children who have recurrent stomachaches may not realize their child's anxiety is causing the symptoms.

In other cases, children may not experience acute physical symptoms, but may instead describe feelings of unease. Anxiety may interfere with the ability of these children to live normal lives, and parents may seek medical care to correct the problem.

When a child visits a physician, the physician will compile a thorough medical history and perform a physical examination. The physician will have to rule out the possibility of an underlying medical illness that may be causing the physical or emotional symptoms. Blood and urine tests, imaging tests and other forms of assessment may be employed to narrow the list of potential causes of symptoms.  

Once other conditions have been ruled out, the physician may diagnose an anxiety disorder if certain criteria are present. All anxiety disorders have their own, specific criteria as defined by the American Psychiatric Association (APA).