THE IMPACT OF STRESS AND ANXIETY ON YOUTH
By A. M. K.
The world today can be very stressful and can cause extreme anxiety. I have witnessed first-hand the impact of stress and anxiety on the youth in my community through my many volunteer experiences. Stress from school, sports, extracurriculars, home life, work, and relationships can take a toll on people. School-age children, in particular, are increasingly feeling this weight. What begins as stress can quickly turn into anxiety. Anxiety and stress are a part of a much larger topic which is mental health. Mental health disorders, such as anxiety disorders, are a big topic in today’s society. The stigma around mental health is slowly disappearing. Mental health disorders are being faced by all different people. The younger generations certainly have not escaped the challenge of addressing mental health. The number of young people in the society that are tackling stress and anxiety on a regular basis is continuously growing. Youth are some of the people under the most pressure in our society, especially youth in middle and high school. Stress and anxiety are affecting more individuals each year, especially in the youth population.
To begin to understand the issue of stress and anxiety, it is essential to understand the difference between the two. According to the Oxford Dictionary, stress is “a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances.” For many children, school can be the leading cause of their stress. In my experience, the demand for academic performance, beginning in high school, is the peak of the school-related stress that students experience. In high school, academic performance can directly affect a student’s acceptance into a post-secondary program. Because of this, students feel pressure to do well in school. Anxiety, on the other hand, is “the state of feeling nervous or worried that something bad is going to happen” (“Oxford”). Anxiety often causes people to run away from a situation rather than facing it. Anxiety is caused by stress. In other words, a stressful situation must arise to cause anxiety. Anxiety and stress are very similar. However, it is crucial to understand the differences between them.
A child who is suffering from anxiety can have many different symptoms. There are five general categories of anxiety disorders that differ slightly between one another. The common denominator of the types is that they are all centered on a fear. The five categories are separation anxiety, phobias, social anxiety, general anxiety, and panic disorders (“Data and Statistics”). Some symptoms specific to separation anxiety are when children refuse to go to school or are constantly thinking about their parent or caregiver. Phobia is when a child has an extreme fear of a specific thing. These specific fears can make a child struggle with completing everyday tasks. Social anxiety is what it sounds like. A child may avoid social situations and may be scared of talking to people. General anxiety is anxiety about many everyday situations and tasks. Symptoms such as fear of embarrassment, constant worry, and low self-esteem are common (“Anxiety”). And finally, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, panic disorders are when a child has a panic attack for no apparent reason. There are many different types of anxiety, each with their own symptoms.
Symptoms of anxiety can often be misunderstood or confused as something else. Many children are able to keep their symptoms unnoticed therefore it can take time for parents to realize their child actually has an anxiety disorder. Some of the most common symptoms of anxiety are changing sleep patterns, headaches, stomachaches, and increased irritability or more anger (“Data and Statistics”). Because these symptoms can be a cause of many other things they can often be overlooked. It is extremely important for both parents and educators to keep an eye out, and to notice patterns that could be associated with an anxiety disorder. When a child has access to resources and treatment for their anxiety it allows them to be more successful in their future. It is normally more effective to try to manage a disorder rather than trying to ignore it.
Stress is very similar to anxiety. However, stress can turn into anxiety eventually. Stress is basically the feeling of being overwhelmed. Children can become stressed about many things. Being stressed is not a medical diagnosis. Stress is more of a feeling that can turn into many other issues such as anxiety and depression. If possible, it is best to recognize what is making a person stressed. If the common factor behind the stress is determined, then stress can be managed and kept at a healthy level. Sometimes if long-term stress is ignored, the stressful environment or event can become a source of anxiety for someone. Some symptoms of stress are trouble concentrating, bed wetting, mood swings, and changes in sleeping and eating patterns. Many of these symptoms are similar, if not identical, to the symptoms of anxiety. Many children who get stressed easily may benefit from support of an adult role-model. A quick heads up about future events can be enough to make a child feel more prepared. Normally it’s the unpredictable and unexpected life events that can cause a lot of stress for people. Overall, it is another challenge that can be conquered with the right support and help (“Childhood Stress”).
Both anxiety and stress are widespread. Everyone will likely experience both anxiety and stress at some point throughout their lifetime. When someone has so much anxiety that it affects their ability to complete everyday tasks, they may be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. A total of 4.4 million, or 7.1% of youth aged 3-17 in the United States, are diagnosed with anxiety. Although many children are diagnosed with anxiety, many do not receive treatment to help them manage their symptoms. Four in every ten children with anxiety do not receive the treatment they need. This likely is due to the stigma associated with mental health disorders. There is a common misconception that mental health struggles are bad. People who are working to manage their mental health are helping themselves become as successful as possible in the future. However, treatment is not always accessible or affordable for many families. Because of this, children in low-income households are less likely to access treatment. Stress, on the other hand, is not something that is diagnosed (“Data and Statistics”). This is because stress is hard to define scientifically. Stress can cause an anxiety disorder, but by itself it is not a disorder. Anxiety and stress are experienced by large amounts of people every day.
Teen stress levels are increasingly rising. High school comes with a lot of pressure to perform well academically and to plan your entire life out. The American Psychological Association (APA) conducted a poll on stress levels of Americans during the school year. What they found was that many teens reported levels of stress as high, or higher than adults. On a ten-point scale, the APA determined a healthy level of stress to be at 3.9 or lower. In the poll, 5.8 was the average reported rating of stress by teens compared to 5.1 being the average reported by adults. This means that not only did teens report unhealthy levels of stress, but also higher levels than adults. A total of 31% of the students polled said that they had experienced an increase in their stress levels recently. And, 34% of the surveyed teens predicted that their stress levels would increase in the next year (Bethune). Overall, the teenage population in the United States is under a lot of stress, especially during the new year.
Although academic pressure is a major contributing factor to many students’ stress levels, many other school-related factors contribute as well. The Pew Research Center conducted a survey to identify what teens feel are problems their peers face. The participants of the survey were all aged 13 to 17. The study resulted in 70% of the teens reporting anxiety and depression as a significant problem among their peers, and only 4% said it was not a problem (Horowitz and Graff). This data shows how much anxiety is affecting communities. Anxiety is no longer a small problem that few people face. Anxiety is a broadly spread issue for a significant amount of the youth in our communities. The pressure to do well academically was reported by 61% of teens as well as 29% feeling pressured to dress well, 28% thought they needed to be socially accepted, and 21% reporting pressure to be good at sports and to participate in extracurriculars (Horowitz and Graff). These results show that school is a significant source of anxiety for students for a variety of reasons. I have relatives who are in middle school who even have to worry about their lunch box being a nice enough brand to bring to school. The social pressures associated with school, especially in middle and high school, can cause some students’ levels of stress to soar out of control.
Because so many students face the pressures of everything relating to school, a lot of weight falls to the teachers and educators to support their students, not just academically but also with their mental health. Students need resources to help them manage their symptoms of stress and anxiety. Sometimes just a person to talk to can be a massive sense of relief for students. If as a community, everyone can look out for one another, it could make a huge difference in many young people’s lives.
The increasing prevalence of social media has had an impact on youth. When using media, it is easy for children to stumble upon information that can be frightening and that can cause anxiety. News such as a school shooting or a terrorist attack can be particularly concerning for children (McCarthy). Even adults can find the news alarming and hard to process. When you consider the trauma that could arise from a child seeing information meant for an older audience, it is not surprising to hear that this sort of event could cause anxiety for a child. News or frightening topics are not just accessible through social media but on the television as well. A study was done with 219 elementary-aged students to learn what media-related, terrifying events they had encountered. The results of the survey showed 76% of children reported having experienced a time where they were frightened by the media they saw. For many children, this ended up being through a movie, including movies that were rated appropriate for their age (Cantor, Joanne, et al). More and more homes are being filled with electronics in this day and age. It is becoming increasingly easy for students to have access to news and media that causes them anxiety.
Social media also causes anxiety because children are shown unrealistic beauty standards through social media posts. Many young people, especially girls, develop self-esteem issues after viewing a lot of social media posts. Children’s minds can be easily influenced. Therefore, it’s not a surprise that many viewers of social media begin to compare their lives to people’s social media pages. The problem is that people typically only post happy moments in their lives, and many photos are photoshopped. This gives children an unrealistic life to compare to their own. Although social media can have a positive influence on someone, there is a risk that it could become a source of anxiety as well. Lowered self-esteem from social media can also cause depression. Many young people are constantly feeling bad about themselves because they feel their lives are no where near those of others on social media platforms. This is why it’s so important to address symptoms of anxiety to prevent the symptoms from growing into a more serious form. Anxiety that is left unaddressed can turn into depression (McCarthy). Overall, social media can become a source of anxiety for children.
When children suffer from anxiety and stress, they can often develop a sleep disorder. Excessive worrying can make people have difficulty falling asleep, which is a symptom of insomnia. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) insomnia is “the clinical term for people who have trouble falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, waking too early in the morning, or waking up feeling unrefreshed.” If someone has already been diagnosed with a sleep disorder, their symptoms can worsen because of anxiety as well (“Sleep”). Sleeping problems are a common issue that can stem from, or become worse from anxiety.
Toxic stress can develop if symptoms of stress and anxiety are not acknowledged and treated. If someone feels stress and they don’t know how to handle it, then the stress will begin to build up and eventually become toxic stress. Toxic stress is defined by the American Association for the Advancement of Science as “[stress that] can reduce the number of neural connections in the cognitive areas of the brain at a time when they should be proliferating” (Lane). In other words, toxic stress can literally change a child’s brain growth. Stress is not just a mindset, it can have lifelong negative implications on a person. “Childhood exposure to violence, domestic abuse, family neglect or other stresses can have life-long consequences, including a higher probability of alcoholism, illicit drug use and depression” (Lane). Some symptoms of toxic stress are not visible on the outside, the effect is wired internally in a person. When toxic stress develops it takes a significant amount of effort to counter the damage that has been done (Lane). Long term toxic stress is going to produce lifelong barriers for a person that cannot be reversed.
Depression is another result of anxiety and stress. When people are overwhelmed by their stress and anxiety their symptoms can become hard to manage. By definition, depression is when a child feels “sad or uninterested in things that they used to enjoy, or feel helpless or hopeless in situations they are able to change” (“Data and Statistics”). Every child is going to be sad at some times in their life. The difference with depression is that this sadness consumes a lot of the child’s life. There are many common ways to help identify depression including feeling worthless, difficulty paying attention, feeling hopeless, and changes in sleeping and/or eating patterns (“Data and Statistics”). The goal is to identify the problem so the child can get the help they need (“Childhood Stress”). Bigger issues can stem from unaddressed symptoms of anxiety, such as depression.
Anxiety and stress are problems that many people all over the world face every day. In this day and age communities are increasingly facing these challenges. The youth population in particular is struggling with anxiety and stress. Many children’s lives are filled to the max with school, sports, clubs, and family commitments. Because of children’s very busy schedules a lot of pressure can build up. Many children end up having symptoms of both stress and anxiety. If symptoms are not addressed, it can have lifelong consequences for the child (Lane). It is extremely important for everyone to be educated and aware about the importance of mental health. Mental health disorders can be managed if the right steps are taken. With the right tools everyone can address concerns with mental health, which is the end goal.
Works Cited
“Anxiety and Children.” American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Oct. 2017, www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/The-Anxious-Child-047.aspx.
Bethune, Sophie. “Teen Stress Rivals That of Adults.” American Psychological Association, Apr. 2014, www.apa.org/monitor/2014/04/teen-stress.
Cantor, Joanne, et al. “Descriptions of Media-Induced Fright Reactions in a Sample of US Elementary School Children.” Journal of Children and Media, 2010, pp. 1–17.
“Childhood Stress.” KidsHealth, Feb. 2015, kidshealth.org/en/parents/stress.html.
“Data and Statistics on Children's Mental Health.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 19 Apr. 2019, www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/data.html.
Horowitz, Juliana Menasce, and Nikki Graf. “Most U.S. Teens See Anxiety and Depression as Major Problems.” Pew Research Center, 20 Feb. 2019, www.pewsocialtrends.org/2019/02/20/most-u-s-teens-see-anxiety-and-depression-as-a-major-problem-among-their-peers/.
Lane, Earl. “Experts Describe Long-Term Impacts of Stress on the Young Brain.” American Association for the Advancement of Science, 16 July 2013, www.aaas.org/news/experts-describe-long-term-impacts-stress-young-brain.
McCarthy, Claire. “Anxiety in Teens Is Rising: What's Going On?” HealthyChildren.org, 20 Nov. 2019, www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/emotional-problems/Pages/Anxiety-Disorders.aspx.
“Oxford Learner's Dictionaries.” Oxford Learner's Dictionaries, www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/.
“Sleep Disorders.” Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA, adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/related-illnesses/sleep-disorders.