Heading back to school can sometimes be a difficult transition for kids, and given that the global landscape changed so much in 2020, this new school year presents even more uncertainty. Anxiety in school has seen a rise in 2021. Though it’s a fairly common occurrence that can affect students of all kinds, the social isolation brought on by the previous year’s quarantine mandates may have amplified many typical pressures and expectations.
Many children and adolescents have not been in a traditional school environment for nearly a year, and some may not have experienced much social interaction during that time. For children, this sudden transition back to school can be a little frightening, and for parents, this rise in anxiety can be alarming. It’s essential to identify specific behaviors that may pertain to a child’s overall mental health so that school-related anxiety can be appropriately diagnosed and managed.
What is School Anxiety?
School anxiety occurs when specific pressures both inside and outside the classroom cause chronic worrying or stress-related symptoms. During instances of extreme anxiety, children will experience difficulty focusing or completing tasks. Anxiety tends to “lock-up” the brain, which makes completing school activities and successful social interactions very difficult for students. While school anxiety itself is not considered a disorder, anxiety disorders can contribute to the manifestation of school anxiety.
Below are anxiety disorders that may affect your child’s school performance:
Generalized anxiety disorder – Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) tends to lead students toward excessive worry about everyday things, often regarding their school performance. A need to be a perfectionist, trouble sleeping, or “out of control” anxiety are all signs of GAD.
Social anxiety disorder – Social anxiety is brought on by the relationship between individuals and their social environments. Children with a social anxiety disorder tend to be more self-conscious and find it difficult to mingle in social situations, often avoiding or feeling panicked by these instances.
Panic disorder – Children with a panic disorder usually have a history of panic attacks, and signs include a racing heart, sweating and shaking, dizziness, and nausea.
Separation anxiety disorder– The separation between children and parents, can also lead to increased anxiety in the classroom. Separation anxiety can cause students to excessively worry about the state of their parents or about being kidnapped/getting lost.
How Does Anxiety Affect Learning?
Anxiety is not a cause of learning difficulties but rather one of many symptoms. Students with learning differences are more likely to have challenges with anxiety, as learning differences and anxiety tend to exacerbate each condition. Anxious students may have a more challenging time learning, and students who already have a harder time learning may experience anxiety as a result.
For teens, anxiety can cause them to believe school is unnecessary. Teens may not participate out of perceived boredom or think their studies don’t matter in the long run. Teens may often worry more about their social endeavors than about their academic work, leading to problems on both ends.
What Does School Anxiety in Children Look Like?
Perhaps the essential way of knowing how to help a child with school anxiety is by recognizing the signs of anxiety or stress. While these differ from student to student, some key symptoms of anxiety include:
Irritability and anger – Children and teens experiencing anxiety may be more prone to short-tempered outbursts or argumentative behavior and often lash out during unexpected circumstances.
Changes in behavior – A child who suddenly neglects their favorite hobbies, activities, or friends, may be experiencing underlying stress. It can also include a refusal to leave the house for school.
Sleeping issues – When a child experiences chronic fatigue throughout the day or sleeps more than usual, these signs may be brought on by stress-related factors.
Neglecting responsibilities – A failure to complete specific responsibilities may be a sign of stress. This can include forgetting to do homework or neglecting obligations that a child usually fulfills daily or weekly.
Feeling sick – If a student complains about frequent stomach aches or headaches, they may be experiencing the very real physical symptoms of stress.
What Does School Anxiety in Teenagers Look Like?
School anxiety in teenagers can sometimes differ from anxiety in children. High schoolers are faced with a much different social landscape than younger children, and thus their school anxiety usually stems from age-related factors. Teens in high school tend to worry more about their academic performance, physical appearance, and how peers view them.
While some signs are similar to those found in younger students, there are a few additional indicators of school anxiety that parents should be aware of, including:
- Irritability and trouble concentrating
- Extreme self-consciousness
- Withdrawal from social activities
- Dips in academic performance
- Sleep problems
- Substance use
How to Help Students with School Anxiety
Therapy is usually considered the most effective option for treating anxiety in students. Therapists typically utilize cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness based approaches and comprehensive assessments to lessen the symptoms of school anxiety.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) helps children learn effective skills to reduce symptoms of anxiety. CBT addresses the negative patterns and distortions in the way they look at the world and themselves. The cognitive piece helps children change thinking patterns that support their fears, and the behavioral part helps them change the way they react to anxiety-provoking situations. For example, CBT can help your child with school anxiety learn how to overcome the belief that others constantly judge them. Greenwich Psychology Group specialized child clinicians also teach deep breathing and other exercises to relieve anxiety and encourage relaxation.
Mindfulness-based therapies (MBTs) seek to change the relationship between the anxious child and their thoughts. The primary focus is on the bodily sensations that arise when a child feels anxious. Instead of avoiding distressing thoughts, the child opens up to them in an effort to realize that they are not valid. Although it may seem counter-intuitive, this process enables anxious children to release their over-identification with negative thoughts. The child practices responding to disruptive thoughts and letting these thoughts go. MBT often involves relaxation techniques that can reduce anxiety and increase feelings of relaxation and emotional well-being when practiced regularly.
Comprehensive Assessment and Psychoeducational evaluations can also be essential for treating school anxiety and understanding the complexity of each child. Identifying specific conditions like ADHD, dyslexia, social anxiety, communication disorders, or other developmental disabilities can make a world of difference in your child’s ability to successfully navigate the challenges they face. We can help provide education about what accommodations or alterations to daily life can ease your child’s life and provide a path forward. Identifying specific underlying issues of school anxiety can make a world of difference in your child’s ability to navigate school successfully. Our comprehensive evaluation will identify specific elements that hold your child back, provide tailored recommendations, determine school placement, inform the development of an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) or a 504 Plan, and identify goals for treatment. The earlier you are made aware of your child’s specific strengths and weaknesses, the earlier they can begin to adapt and understand how to live and thrive alongside it.
Greenwich Psychology Group moves the focus on your child, with personalized, one-on-one care as the backbone of our practice philosophy.
