A recent Nemours KidsHealth study released details about worrying and stress among youth, the details of which emphasize the need for early mental health intervention.
The study was conducted online by the Harris Poll in January and shares how often 504 kids aged 9 through 13 worry, what they worry about and what coping mechanisms they use. The goal of the survey is to see how this demographic can be helped and what support can be provided during such a “critical developmental period,” according to a press release from Nemours KidsHealth.
What is worrying children and how often?
According to the survey, 86% of children worry, with 37% worrying once a week or more. Thirty-three percent of children feel they worry more than others their age, and others feel no one notices when they worry.
Common sources of worry shared by respondents include school (64%) and friends or friendships (41%), with girls worrying more about the latter than boys.
Other sources of weekly worry for children include the health of loved ones (experienced by 35% of those surveyed), appearance (65%) and bullying (55%).
For 1 in 5 children, their worries extended beyond their communities to include money (21%), violence (20%) and the environment (19%).
What coping mechanisms for worry are children using?
Forty percent of the children surveyed said they feel distracted or unable to focus when worried. Other effects of worry include feeling sad or miserable (36%), feeling quiet or not wanting to talk to anyone (34%), feeling sick to their stomach (23%) or getting a headache (21%).
Children experiencing these effects reported taking action to make themselves feel better, with nearly half of them opting to talk to someone, watch TV or play video games.
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These children said talking to someone or doing something creative, like painting or playing music, are the best remedies for making them feel better.
Support for worry
Of the respondents ages 9 to 11, 77% said they first go to parents for information or advice, but this number drops to 51% among 12- and 13-year-olds.
Fifty-three percent of children think adults don’t understand what they worry about, with 45% of elementary school-aged children and 59% of middle school-aged children thinking so.
How adults can help children address worry
The survey findings reinforce the need for mental health education and support in youth, and Nemours experts add that the study provides an opportunity to create strategies for better addressing these struggles among a population that wants help but may not understand how to get it or solve an issue on their own.
“Understanding why kids worry and signs to look for can help us, as adults and parents, provide early intervention and provide our children with the appropriate resources to help them better understand and deal with their worry,” said Meghan Walls, Psy.D., pediatric psychologist at Nemours Children’s Health and Nemours KidsHealth medical reviewer. “Laying this groundwork when children are young is especially important, so they build the tools to cope with the emotions and turmoil throughout childhood and adolescence, leading to improved mental health as adults.”
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According to Nemours KidsHealth, worry can be helpful as long as it doesn’t become too intense, last too long or happen too often.
When worrying becomes an issue, adults can take steps to help children feel supported, prepared and calmly address their concerns. Ways to help children address worry include:
- Spending time with them. This keeps the bond strong and positive and creates moments for kids to open up naturally.
- Ask what’s on their minds. This helps them label what they’re thinking and feeling and let them know you are open to listening.
- Listen with patience. Giving them your full attention, asking questions and listening calmly are the best ways to conduct these conversations. Don’t be too quick to give advice.
- Validate their perspective. Letting them know their feelings are normal and avoiding the phrase “there’s nothing to worry about” will make it easier for children to share.
- Help kids think of how to handle things. Don’t immediately try to solve a problem for them. Help them feel capable and invite them to think of what they can do. Support their ideas, talk through it together and offer help when needed.
- Help them practice building toward their goals, one step at a time. Break things into smaller pieces and celebrate each success.
- Praise your child’s effort and progress. Help them relax so stress and worry don’t build up and tell what they say or do that makes you proud.
- Help them expect good things. Ask what’s going well and what they’re looking forward to and discuss good parts of the day. Talking about worries can be helpful, but focusing more on good moments can be beneficial, too.
- Soothe and comfort them during times they may feel overwhelmed by worry. Offer understanding, teach them to use calm breathing to relax their mind and body and remind them you’re there to help them.
Tips for children
If your child has expressed worry about tests, homework or peer pressure, among other challenges, sharing ways for them to address their feelings on their own can aid them in building healthy coping mechanisms.
According to Nemours KidsHealth, children can use these tips to address worry:
- Using coping strategies like employing breathing techniques and talking through hard moments, which can make you feel ready to handle your day, especially if you practice them.
- Taking care of yourself, which helps put you in a better position to approach difficulties or worries that may arise. Exercising, eating and sleeping well are all crucial in maintaining a healthy body. Stretching, trying mindful breathing and doing yoga are great options.
- Asking for support and help when you need it. If you feel too stressed or worried to handle either on your own, talking through the situation with a trusted adult or specialist can be helpful.
Next steps
If worries become worse with time and it starts to impact daily habits like sleeping or eating, children can begin feeling anxious or afraid and avoid things they typically enjoy.
This can be a sign of an anxiety disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder. In situations like this, it is best to talk with your child’s doctor or a mental health specialist, according to Nemours KidsHealth.
Got a tip or a story idea? Contact Krys’tal Griffin at kgriffin@delawareonline.com.
