ABSTRACT

Anxiety disorders are one of the commonest forms of psychological disorder in children and adolescents, with a prevalence of between 5 and 10 per cent (Klein and Pine, 2002). Prevalence rates of speci®c anxiety disorders are poorly understood at the present time, as are the range of trajectories, or pathways of development, of particular disorders (Vasey and Dadds, 2001). However, it is clear that many adults with anxiety disorders experienced mental health problems as children or teenagers (see e.g. Gregory et al., 2007). Fortunately, it is also true that not all children and adolescents with anxiety disorders will inevitably continue to experience problematic levels of anxiety into adulthood ± some children will overcome their dif®culties through resilience processes played out between themselves, their families, friends, school, and other supportive systems (including, for a few children, therapy).