Posted: Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Back to school anxiety?

As the summer days wind down, families will hit the stores with eager children to buy notebooks, backpacks, lunchboxes and clothes. The first day of school is right around the corner! New teachers, new friends and new experiences!

But, not every child can’t wait to strap on that shiny new backpack and first-day-of-school outfit. For some students, the thought of school causes anxiety and stress.

Allison Bernier, LICSW, QMHP, Director of Care Integration at The Providence Center, says that anxiety and stress don’t have to damper the excitement of a new school year. “Communication and preparation are important tools in supporting your child’s transition back to school,” Bernier said. “Listen to what your children are telling you in their words and actions.”

Bernier suggests a few simple ways to ease the transition back to school:

• Prepare for the school year 2-3 weeks before the first day of school by gradually returning to the routine: setting earlier bed times, waking up earlier and eating meals at regular times. 
• Finding out who your child’s teacher is and talk to him or her to help everyone
• During school year, make lunches, lay out clothing and check that homework has been complete the night before to avoid a rushing in the morning, which could set a negative tone for the day.
  
  

If you are concerned about your child’s stress or anxiety, our childhood mental health experts at The Providence Center’s Child and Family Services can help you find solutions that will ensure your child and your family have a successful school year. Call for an appointment at 401-276-4020.

More Information on Children and Anxiety

How do I know if my child is struggling with an anxiety disorder?

All children experience short-lived fears or anxiety at times, but young people with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) experience extreme, unrealistic worry that that interferes with their daily lives. Typical signs of this disorder are excessive worrying about ordinary activities, such as attending school, forming friendships, separating from parents, or taking tests. Children with GAD are overly tense, self-conscious and may require a lot of reassurance. They may complain of frequent stomachaches and headaches, and experience sweating, trembling, and palpitations.

What are the different types of anxiety disorders?

In addition to Generalized Anxiety Disorder, other types of anxiety disorders for children include: phobias, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder

What is the treatment for childhood anxiety?

Consult your pediatrician to confirm that the symptoms are caused by an anxiety disorder, or some other condition. Then, if needed, your doctor can refer you to a child psychiatrist or licensed social worker or psychologist who will complete a careful evaluation and examination of the child in order to reach a diagnosis. Once a diagnosis is made, treatments may include a combination of individual therapy, family therapy, behavioral treatments, medication, and consultation with the school. A comprehensive treatment plan should be developed with the family, and whenever possible, the child should be involved in making treatment decisions.       

Should I involve the school in my child’s treatment? 

Since school is such a big part of children’s lives, difficulties like this often manifest themselves in the school setting. If anxiety is affecting school performance, it is important to inform key officials of the treatment process and incorporate treatment recommendations into the school setting. It may be helpful for child, parents, teachers and therapists to meet.

More information on Stress in Teens and Children

From http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress-children.aspx

Young people, like adults, experience stress. It can come from a variety of sources including doing well in school, making and sustaining friendships, or managing perceived expectations from their parents, teachers or coaches. Some stress can be positive in that it provides the energy to tackle a big test, presentation or sports event. Too much stress, however, can create unnecessary hardship and challenge. Adults can sometimes be unaware when their children or teens are experiencing overwhelming feelings of stress. Tuning into emotional or behavioral cues is important in identifying potential problems and working with your young person to provide guidance and support to successfully work through difficult times.

Here are some tips from the American Psychological Association on ways to recognize possible signs of stress:

Watch for negative changes in behavior

Youth of all ages, but especially younger children, may find it difficult to recognize and verbalize when they are experiencing stress. For children, stress can manifest itself through changes in behavior. Common changes can include acting irritable or moody, withdrawing from activities that used to give them pleasure, routinely expressing worries, complaining more than usual about school, crying, displaying surprising fearful reactions, clinging to a parent or teacher, sleeping too much or too little, or eating too much or too little. With teens, while spending more time with and confiding in peers is a normal part of growing up, significantly avoiding parents, abandoning long-time friendships for a new set of peers or expressing excessive hostility toward family members, may indicate that the teen is experiencing significant stress. While negative behavior is not always linked to excessive stress, negative changes in behavior are almost always a clear indication that something is wrong. Adults will want to pay attention to these behaviors and determine an appropriate response or intervention.

Understand that “feeling sick” may be caused by stress

Stress can also appear in physical symptoms such as stomach aches and headaches. If a child makes excessive trips to the school nurse or complains of frequent stomachaches or headaches (when they have been given a clean bill of health by their physician), or if these complaints increase in certain situations (e.g., before a big test) that child may be experiencing significant stress.

Be aware of how your child or teen interacts with others

Sometimes a child or teen may seem like his or her usual self at home but be acting out in unusual ways in other settings. It is important for parents to network with one another so that they can come to know how child or teen is doing in the world around them. In addition to communicating with other parents, being in contact with teachers, school administrators and leaders of extracurricular activities can help parents tap into their child or teen’s thoughts, feelings and behaviors, and be aware of any sources of concern.

Listen and translate

Because children are often not familiar with the word stress and its meaning, they may express feelings of distress through other words such as “worried,” “confused,” “annoyed” and “angry.” Children and teens may also express feelings of stress by saying negative things about themselves, others, or the world around them (e.g. “No one likes me,” “I’m stupid,” “Nothing is fun.”). It is important for parents to listen for these words and statements and try to figure out why your child or teen is saying them and whether they seem to indicate a source or sources of stress.

Seek support

Parents, children and teens do not need to tackle overwhelming stress on their own. If a parent is concerned that his or her child or teen is experiencing significant symptoms of stress on a regular basis, including, but not limited to those described above, it can be helpful to work with a licensed mental health professional, such as a psychologist. Psychologists have special training to help people identify problems and develop effective strategies to resolve overwhelming feelings of stress.