In high-income countries, more children are diagnosed with anxiety disorders than any other mental health condition. In BC, this means an estimated 42,000 children aged four to 18 likely meet criteria for an anxiety disorder at any given time. To receive such a diagnosis, young people must experience anxiety that is severe enough to cause considerable distress or impair functioning or both. And because many children do not receive treatment for their anxiety disorders, these disorders often persist into adulthood — taking a substantial toll.

For more information, see Vol. 18, No. 4 of the Children’s Mental Health Research Quarterly.