Generalized Anxiety Disorder Among Children - Statistics

If your child has generalized anxiety disorder, or GAD, he or she will worry excessively about a variety of things such as grades, family issues, relationships with peers, and performance in sports. Learn more about GAD.

Children with GAD tend to be very hard on themselves and strive for perfection. They may also seek constant approval or reassurance from others.

1. Anxiety disorders affect 25.1% of children between 13 and 18 years old. Research shows that untreated children with anxiety disorders are at higher risk to perform poorly in school, miss out on important social experiences, and engage in substance abuse.
2. Generalized Anxiety Disorder also affects 3% of US children and in adolescents, the figure is 10.8%.
3. Compared to other anxiety disorders, GAD tends to present with an earlier onset and a more gradual development. It can start at any age, with children developing it usually at 8 or 9 but research by Kessler and Berguland showed that the mean age of onset for GAD was 32.7 years of age.