Teenage anxiety is a pretty common occurrence these days—and it’s not just the usual stress implicit in adolescence. Almost a third of teens have a full-fledged anxiety disorder, according to prevalence studies, and, as with other mental health disorders, there just aren’t enough effective treatments. A small new review study looks back over the evidence, and finds that several mind-body practices are helpful in treating teen anxiety, in school and at home.
According to past studies, about 32% of teens have an anxiety disorder, including generalized anxiety, social anxiety, agoraphobia, and panic disorder. This estimate, however, is from a study published in 2010, when smartphones and social media were just becoming commonplace. It’s possible that the numbers are higher today, since multiple studies have linked social media and screen time with poorer mental health in teens who use them a lot.
“Whereas anxiety and fear are typical reactions to the academic, social, and developmental challenges common during the adolescent years,” the authors write, “clinical or pathological anxiety is excessive, persistent, and disruptive.” The study’s actual aim was to look at how nurse practitioner practices can help teens with anxiety, using methods beyond conventional ones, given the fact that sometimes these treatments aren’t covered by insurance, can be expensive or ineffective, or bring adverse side effects.
So the team looked back over studies on teens with anxiety and the efficacy of several mind-body methods: Mindfulness training, yoga, hypnosis, and biofeedback. All of the methods showed benefit, both in reduction of anxiety symptoms and other variables, like school performance.
For instance, the two best-studied methods in the last 10 years or so have been mindfulness and yoga. Mindfulness training, which includes elements of meditation, body scanning, mindful breathing, and developing a less attached attitude toward one’s thoughts, was found to be effective both generally and in three subgroups, including minority children, inner-city youths, and teens with social anxiety. A number of studies has reported this in recent years, and it’s even been integrated into classrooms across the country, based on the research showing its benefit on mental health, behavior, and grades and attendance.
Yoga, which the authors point out includes asana (physical poses), pranayama (breath training), and mindful meditation, also had an effect. Yoga has the added benefit of including physical movement, which can be especially helpful for kids who have extreme stress in their lives. S
