What are the symptoms of anxiety disorder in children?

Children's anxiety symptoms generally manifest in the following aspects: abnormal behavior, emotional instability, noticeable physiological reactions, social withdrawal, and impaired learning performance. The details are as follows:

1. Abnormal behavior: Children may frequently exhibit repetitive behaviors such as nail-biting, skin-picking, head-shaking, or repeatedly checking whether schoolbags or stationery are complete. Some children resist separating from their parents, cry persistently before going to school or bedtime, and show strong resistance toward unfamiliar environments or new experiences.

2. Emotional instability: They may become irritable without apparent reason, prone to outbursts over minor issues, and frequently express worries—such as fear that something bad will happen to their parents when they're away, or dread of making mistakes during exams. When feeling down, they may become withdrawn, showing no interest even in favorite toys or games.

3. Noticeable physiological reactions: Physical discomforts occur frequently, including stomachaches, nausea, and dizziness—especially intensified before school or exams. Medical examinations often reveal no clear physical illness. Sleep disturbances may also accompany these symptoms, such as difficulty falling asleep, frequent nighttime awakenings, nightmares, and daytime fatigue.

4. Social withdrawal: Children may avoid playing with peers, prefer staying alone at kindergarten or school, refuse to participate in group activities, hide behind parents when encountering strangers, hesitate to speak up, and may even refuse to attend school due to fear of social interaction. They may also avoid others' attempts to engage with them.

5. Impaired learning performance: Difficulty concentrating leads to daydreaming and inattention in class; memory declines, making it hard to remember lessons. Homework is often delayed or completed slowly. Children may experience extreme anxiety about tests or being called on in class, which can result in a noticeable drop in academic performance.

If a child consistently displays the above symptoms for more than two weeks, parents should spend more time communicating with the child to understand their inner concerns, avoiding blame or neglect. If symptoms persist, it is recommended to consult a child mental health professional who can provide scientific interventions to help alleviate the child’s anxiety.