ABSTRACT
Psychologists consider anxiety to be an emotion closely related to fear. Problem anxiety will manifest in different forms, vary in intensity and duration and may include feelings of powerlessness and panic. Many anxious children overestimate the danger involved in a situation and underestimate their ability to cope. Studies looking at parents of anxious children and children of anxious parents have found that anxiety does seem to run in families. Anxiety involves a complex interaction of thoughts, feelings, behaviour and physiology. Psychologists have differed in the ways they have seen the interactions of these components and this has influenced how we understand and manage anxiety. Four main theories will be considered: psychoanalytic, behavioural, cognitive, and neurobiological. In the late 1970s Steve de Shazer and Insoo Berg developed the solution-focused approach to helping those with mental health difficulties. The importance of promoting emotional well-being in all spheres of life has become an area of increasing interest over recent years.
