Research More and more kids are suffering from pronounced fears

Those affected often seek help with counseling sessions
Many children are suffering from severe anxiety at the present time. These are often so pronounced that the affected children or their parents seek professional help. British researchers found that last year, there was a 35 percent increase in counseling sessions of adolescents with fears in the UK.

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children experts (NSPCC) found in their study that more and more young people in the UK are suffering from severe anxiety. Last year, consultations with the so-called NSPCC's Childline on the topic of anxiety among young people increased by 35 percent. The researchers published a press release with the results of their study.

Today, more and more children and adolescents are suffering from strong fears. The reasons for this are diverse. Physicians advise that the affected adolescents should be helped in counseling sessions. (Image: Tomsickova / fotolia.com)

About 6,500 counseling sessions with adolescents in the last six months alone
Many adults suffer from well-founded or unfounded fears. However, more and more young people seem to be affected by these fears. In the past six months alone, there have been nearly 6,500 counseling sessions on fears in the so-called Childline of the NSPCC, the experts explain.

Girls are much more likely to suffer from anxiety than boys
Even with young children, there are more frequent anxieties these days. For example, children at the age of eight sometimes suffer from anxiety, the doctors say. Girls are much more affected by such fears than boys. The researchers found that girls have seven times more fears.

The reasons for fears can be very different
But what causes are there for this significant increase? The causes range from personal and family problems to concerns about global political issues such as the EU referendum, the US election and the problems in the Middle East, explain the physicians. So the reasons for the sharp rise are due to a combination of personal and political issues or uncertainties. Many adolescents see disturbing events in newspapers, television and social media as the source of their concerns, the authors add.

Problems and fears of young people need to be taken seriously
"We know that children and adolescents are sometimes frightened or disturbed by various events in the world," says Esther Rantzen Childline's president. When adults see pictures or film shots of screaming and confused toddlers being dragged out of bombed buildings, it causes a variety of effects such as dismay, grief, and fear. It is often forgotten how such stories and pictures affect young people. It is important that we are aware of these issues and take them seriously. So it is possible to respond to the frightened youth and to calm them, say the doctors. (As)