Anxiety disorders are common in people of all ages, and affect up to 10% of young people. A certain degree of anxiety is a normal feature of most people's lives - however anxiety becomes a problem when it disrupts the young person's life, for instance by interfering with attendance at school.
Anxiety disorders that may occur in young people include generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), separation anxiety, social phobia, specific phobias and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).