Anxiety in Adolescents and Children
Count on NeuroImprove to help your child better understand and manage anxiety.
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety Disorders in adolescents and children refer to persistent worries or fears which go beyond what would be expected for age or stage of development.
When unaddressed, these difficulties can affect emotional well-being, school performance and even the way the child or adolescent relates to others.
It is important to remember that anxiety is a natural emotion and part of growth. However, in some cases, it can become more intense or difficult to manage — and it is precisely at these moments that it can be useful to seek specialized support.
Main types of Anxiety Disorder
The manifestation of Anxiety may be slightly different when we talk about children and adolescents:
Types of Anxiety Disorder in Children
- Separation anxiety: intense fear of moving away from parents; it can arise as school refusal.
- Selective Mutism:speaks normally at home, but blocks in other contexts (school, consultations).
- Specific phobias:exaggerated fear of objects or situations (animals, dark, thunderstorms, injections).
- Social anxiety:extreme shame and fear of public speaking or being judged.
- Generalized anxiety: constant concerns (health, school, parental safety), with tension and “anticipation of the worst”.
Types of Anxiety Disorder in Adolescents
- Social anxiety: intense fear of judgment in interactions (presentations, sports, parties).
- Generalized anxiety: constant worries (future, grades, body, relationships), with tension, irritability and insomnia.
- Panic disorder:sudden attacks of anxiety and fear that they will happen again.
- Agoraphobia: avoid places with many people (transport, shopping centers) for fear of not being able to leave.
- Specific phobias:exaggerated fear of situations such as heights, flight, driving, blood, injections.
- Health-related anxiety: excessive concern with diseases or use of medicines.
Symptoms of Anxiety in Adolescents and Children
Emotional and behavioral symptoms:
- Abdominal pain or frequent nausea
- Recurrent headaches
- Muscle tension
- Difficulty falling asleep or restless sleep
- Excessive tiredness
- Rapid breathing, tremors or feeling short of breath in times of stress
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Physical symptoms:
- Constant worries or excessive fears (even for no apparent reason)
- Intense fear of separation from parents or caregivers
- Frequent refusal to go to school or participate in social activities
- Constant need for reaffirmation (“what if...?” “are you really going to come back?”, “I'm sure?”)
- Irritability or beer without apparent cause
- Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
- Avoiding specific situations or locations (dark, crowds, doctors, etc.)
💡 To suspect Anxiety, it is important that these symptoms are persistent and have a real impact on the child's day to day.
Causes of Anxiety in Adolescents and Children
Anxiety in adolescents and children has varied causes and results from the interaction between:
- Biological factors: genetics, more sensitive temperament, changes in the regulation of neurotransmitters;
- Psychological factors: perfectionism, low self-esteem, history of trauma or difficulty coping with stress;
- Social/environmental factors: overprotective or critical parenting styles, family conflicts, bullying, school or routine changes.
In children, it is often linked to separation and insecurity, while in adolescents it tends to be more associated with school, social and self-image pressures, hormonal changes of puberty and the impact of social networks.
Diagnosis of Anxiety in Adolescents and Children
The diagnosis of Anxiety should be carried out by a specialized professional (psychologist, psychiatrist, pediatrician, among others) and is based on a complete clinical evaluation, which may include interviews, questionnaires and psychological tests.
At NeuroImprove, we also use the Quantitative Electroencephalogram (qEEG), a complementary exam that allows to obtain a more accurate diagnosis and, therefore, a more effective treatment.
In qEEG, Anxiety is frequently associated with:
🧠 An increase in activity in Beta and High Beta waves
It is customary to observe, therefore, a brain map similar to this:
Values below expected
Values above expected
PHDA Combined
As the name suggests, it is a combination of the symptoms presented by the two other subtypes: inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive.
Treatment of Anxiety in Adolescents and Children
The treatment of childhood anxiety should be individualized and adapted to the child's stage of development, taking into account their family, school and social context.
At NeuroImprove, we follow an integrated approach:
Neurofeedback
Painless and non-invasive brain training that improves focus, calm and emotional self-regulation - without resorting to medication. Find out more.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
We help the child understand their fears, develop emotional awareness and learn practical strategies to deal with anxiety more safely. Find out more.
Involvement of Family and Other Professionals
We work with parents and, when necessary, coordinate with teachers, pediatricians, psychiatrists, speech therapists or other psychologists to ensure consistency in and out of sessions.
👉 Do you want to know in detail how we work?
What other families are saying
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My daughter had a lot of anxiety that was even affecting her at school level but thanks to this treatment she improved immensely. This would be very noticeable in school and it does not seem the same. I recommend.
I really liked the accompaniment. What we want to improve is always taken into account and affects us the most. I am a completely different person, much calmer and more focused. Neurofeedback makes all the difference! I strongly advise those who manage to get green for this type of treatment
I liked it from the care to the treatment, my son is 8 years old suffers from anxiety and has attention deficit. With the help of neurofeedback you can already control your anxiety, you are calmer and more confident and your attention has improved a lot.
We are having an excellent experience. In a few sessions and you can already notice results. Great professionals and very welcoming, both at the reception and therapists. Thank you
I found a friend at the NeuroImprove Clinic when I was already desperate because all the doors were closing for my son. Today he is a teenager with friends and a super normal life, and with a very strong self-esteem. This achievement of mine is due to this magnificent clinic that has a team of excellent professionals.
Fantastic clinic and team and always looking for agenda solutions and helping the children in this case my daughter. I highly recommend coming to Porto from Lisbon because the confidence is maximum and the support, the professionalism of the teams, the way they explain the progress of the sessions can only give improvements..
It's been a very positive experience. Although there are not many sessions yet, we have already noticed differences in our son. We always give feedback in all sessions and we have the opportunity to follow the results with the evaluations made before, during and after the program. Thank you all, they are an excellent team. Catia Lopes
An excellent follow-up with results that exceeded my expectations in my child's Hyperactivity.
I noticed a lot of differences in my son, namely in his behavior, more in relation to me, that we were with authority problems, but thank goodness he has corrected! And if I eventually need treatment again, this is where I will go for sure! Many thanks to the whole team always ready to help, and Dra. Beatriz for all the support and affection given throughout our journey! Thank you all at NeuroImprove 🙏❤️
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