Childhood anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder

Abstract

Anxiety disorders is one of the most prevalent diagnostic categories identified in children and adolescents. This chapter provides an overview of the epidemiology of childhood anxiety disorders and presents several pathways of etiology, specifically genetics, parent-child attachment, and neurobiology. Separation anxiety disorder, selective mutism, specific phobia, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and panic disorder are reviewed. Cognitive-behavioral therapy and psychopharmacology are summarized as effective treatment approaches for childhood anxiety disorders.