All Tangled Up: Identifying Feelings and Strategies to Cope With Anxiety

by Alli

This video demonstrates an intervention that can be done with children who suffer from anxiety. According to a survey conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health, 8 percent of teenagers ages 13-18 have an anxiety disorder with the symptoms emerging around age 6. All children experience some anxiety. Treatment is only necessary if the anxiety becomes severe enough to interfere with the child’s normal activities.  Interventions can help when children are feeling overwhelmed and make their anxieties more manageable.

This intervention is called “All Tangled Up” and the idea of the intervention is to help the child externalize their worry and to show them that using one of these strategies can help calm themselves down and eliminating their anxious feelings. This intervention could be done by a social worker or the child’s parents.

References

Cavett, A. M. (2009). Playful trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy w/maltreated children and adolescents. Play Therapy, 20-22. Retrieved from http://www.a4pt.org/ download.cfm ?ID=28212

Children’s mental health awareness: Anxiety disorders in children and adolescents fact sheet.      National Institute of Mental Health. Retrieved from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/anxiety-disorders-in-children-and-adolescents/anxiety-disorders-in-children-and-adolescents.pdf

Facts for families: The anxious child. American Academy of Child & Adolescents Pyschiatry. Retrieved from http://aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/the_anxious_child

Lowenstein, L. (2011). Favorite Therapeutic Activities for Children, Adolscents, and Families:      Practitioners Share Their Most Effective Interventions. Toronto, Ontario: Champion Press. Retrieved from  http://www.lianalowenstein.com/e-booklet.pdf

Anxiety Body Signals in Children

Children seen in a mental health setting have an estimated occurrence of anxiety between 12-20% (Carter, 2010).  Often feelings of anxiety and its concurrent physical discomfort  can cause feelings of fear and confusion which may cause children to have avoidant or distracting responses. 

The therapeutic treatment in relation to anxiety in children and having primary efficacy is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).  In the preliminary phase of CBT treatment, psycho-education, the clinician can assist the child to identify their body’s signals when anxious.  By being able to focus on their body’s responses to anxiety (e.g., which signals are the strongest and most noticeable) they become more self-aware and able to promptly use calming or relaxation techniques. 

The below-referenced articles provide more research regarding up-to-date information about anxiety and  children, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) approaches, intervention techniques and applicable worksheets. 

Click here for a worksheet for discussing anxiety body signals with children.  This worksheet appears in the book called Anxiety by Stallard, referenced below.

by Tara Shirek

References:

1.  Carter, S. Managing anxiety in children. (2010). Retrieved on April 14, 2012 from: http://www.lianalowenstein.com/articles.html.
2. Jongsma, A. E., Peterson, L. M., & McInnis, W. P. (2006). Eating disorder. In T.J.Bruce (Ed.), The adolescent psychotherapy treatment planner (4th ed., pp. 109-117). Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.
3. Beidas, R.S. , Benjamin, C.L., Edmunds, J.M., Kendall, P.C., Puleo, C.M. (2010) Flexible Applications of the coping cat program for anxious youth. Cognitive Behavioral Practice 17(2): 142–153. doi:10.1016/j.cbpra.2009.11.002.
4. Stallard, P. (2009). Anxiety: Cognitive behavior therapy with children and young people.  Routledge, London.

Yoga for Children's Mental Health

by Rhonda Callahan

Children who experience attention issues and/or anxiety issues can be benefitted by yoga. Studies have found that yoga can help increase focus and to reduce anxiety. Yoga can be used to enhance and complement other interventions in a therapy setting, a classroom setting or in the home. There are many great resources including videos and classes that children and their “helpers” can use to do yoga. Yoga can also be a very connecting experience for children and their therapist, parent or teacher. The video will give some tips that can help a therapist in doing yoga with a child and demonstrate some simple poses while using kid-friendly terminology and making the relaxation exercise a fun experience.

Please see these articles for more information:

Arnold, L. (1999). Treatment alternatives for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Journal of Attention Disorders. 3, 30-48, doi:10.1177/108705479900300103.

Harrison L.J., Manocha R., Rubia K. (2004). Yoga Meditation as a family treatment programme for children with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 9 (4) ,479-497.