Grant: CIHR Café Scientifique Program

Anxiety is a common mental health disorder for people of all ages, but what does it look like in young children? The current discussion will begin with an overview of anxiety, which includes the various causes and symptoms of childhood anxiety, as well as how to detect problematic levels of anxiety. Anxiety disorders are related to a variety of personal and social difficulties, including higher rates of depression, adolescent suicide, increased use of tobacco, alcohol misuse, poor social relationships, lower academic achievement, school avoidance, and impaired family cohesion and functioning (Ost & Treffers, 2001). When mental health problems are left untreated, the cost-of-illness, both to the patient and society, are high (Bodden, Dirksen & Bogels, 2008). The burden of illness attributable to mental disorders accounts for 15% of the total disability-adjusted life years associated with all illnesses, second only to cardiovascular illness (Joubert, 2001). These staggering figures may be reduced if mental health difficulties are identified, diagnosed and treated early in life. The current Café Scientifique forum will invite discussion about detecting and preventing anxiety in early childhood.