This week Bobbi Conner talks with Dr. Rakin Hoq about anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. Dr. Hoq is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and a child and adolescent psychiatrist at MUSC.
TRANSCRIPT:
Conner: I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio with Health Focus here at the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Anxiety disorders are quite common in children and adolescents, but are often under-recognized and undertreated. Doctor Rakin Hoq is here to talk about treatment for children with anxiety disorders. Doctor Hoq is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and he's a child and adolescent psychiatrist at MUSC. Doctor Hoq, tell us briefly about anxiety disorders and what this really means.
Dr. Hoq: Well, first, it's important to know that anxiety is a normal stress state, and it serves to alert us to a threat. And anxiety disorder is basically indicating that that process is effectively in overdrive and over activating in situations that are not truly threatening. What that results in, is a person living in an excessive state of stress and worry, and that excessive state of worry is leading them to avoid parts of their lives and limit their lives in a dysfunctional way.
Conner: What are some of the typical signs or symptoms, then, that might indicate a child has an anxiety disorder?
Dr. Hoq: Common signs that we see of an anxiety disorder in a child is really a child who appears to be frequently overwhelmed, tearful, or quick to get angry or even aggressive. With an older child, it will often look like significant social withdrawal. And, the big thing to look for is a pattern of avoidance of activities and experiences.
Conner: Doctor Hoq, how are anxiety disorders treated in children and adolescents?
Dr. Hoq: First and foremost, anxiety conditions are treated with talk therapy, specifically cognitive behavioral therapy. Medications can play a role as well, but they're reserved for when anxiety symptoms are severely impairing a child's functioning, or when talk therapy is not making the progress and can.
Conner: Can cognitive behavioral therapy be helpful even for young children who may have symptoms of an anxiety disorder, say in the early elementary years.
Dr. Hoq: Yes, in the sense that the same concepts of the therapy can be adapted to younger children. But those adaptations typically involve a lot of the parents having to implement the behavioral strategies for the child. A common example we may see is a young child, say ages 7 or 8, who is anxious and avoidant of school. The cognitive behavioral interventions for that child would involve the parents approaching the school avoidance in a systematic way, guided by the therapist. As children are transitioning into adolescence and are thinking in much more individualized ways about their experiences and feelings, they can implement the systematic behavioral strategies guided by the therapist themselves. So, then it can be a much more individualized process.
Conner: And what can you suggest as a first step for parents who are concerned about a lot of anxiety in their child's life?
Dr. Hoq: First of all, it's important to know when to be concerned, and that is when you see your child's stressful emotions really impairing and impeding their functioning. The best place to start at that point is to consult with your primary care provider, and they can guide you towards the right help.
Conner: Doctor Hoq, thanks for this information about anxiety disorders in children.
Dr. Hoq: My pleasure.
Conner: From the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina public Radio.
Health Focus transcripts are intended to accurately represent the original audio version of the program; however, some discrepancies or inaccuracies may exist. The audio format serves as the official record of Health Focus programming.
