Anxiety and the Family Slides.pdf

Anxiety and the Family PSYC348 Lecturer: Jenna van Deurs Questions: vevox.app (ID:183070-161) Anxiety • Most common mental health issue in childhood Elements of Anxiety • Cognitions • Affect • Physiology • Behaviour Anxiety is Adaptive • Anxiety is a normal & necessary part of life • Survival f...

Anxiety and the Family PSYC348 Lecturer: Jenna van Deurs Questions: vevox.app (ID:183070-161) Anxiety • Most common mental health issue in childhood Elements of Anxiety • Cognitions • Affect • Physiology • Behaviour Anxiety is Adaptive • Anxiety is a normal & necessary part of life • Survival function role • Russ Harris: Evolution of the Human Mind https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k v6HkipQcfA (3 min) • Sympathetic nervous system activation when feel stressed/anxious is designed to keep us safe (in contrast to parasympathetic nervous system for rest/digest) • Gingerbread person activity When Anxiety Becomes Problematic • Anxiety can become an issue when it is frequent, intense, and adversely affects a person’s functioning • Smoke alarm analogy • Need a system which detects threat AND • Differentiates between challenging situations (e.g., burnt toast) versus danger/harm (e.g., fire) Separation Anxiety Selective Mutism DSM-5 Anxiety Disorders Specific Phobia Social Anxiety Disorder Panic Disorder Agoraphobia Generalised Anxiety Disorder Genetics Temperament Causes of Anxiety Stressors Cognitive Behavioural Family systems Anxiety-provoking event Child feels anxious. Child cries, is clingy, asks lots of questions, begs, demands The child learns the situation really was dangerous and they couldn’t have coped Parent immediately feels better Cycle of Anxiety Child immediately feels better Parent feels distressed. Responds with reassurance, answering questions, lets child avoid No Go Zone Uncomfortable/ Learning Zone No Go Zone Comfort Zone Uncomfortable/ Learning Zone Comfort Zone The “Bonsai” Child • The bonsai: A "perfect little tree" that thrives only with lots and lots of care – a metaphor for children raised to be reliant on high levels of support (Judith Locke, clinical psychologist) • The “Bonsai child”: children reared in “extremely controlled environments and assiduously cultivated by their parents. There is an over-emphasis on the child's happiness, and an expectation they will excel at life, which can breed anxiety and perfectionism in the child”. • “Locke says a bonsai upbringing stunts children's development, as they never learn how to adapt to different or difficult circumstances. They grow up anxious, overly dependent on others, lack resilience, have poor life skills and can behave badly.” https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/parenting/70954420/bonsai-parenting-why-so-many-children-end-up-in-therapy The Bonsai Child - is modern parenting limiting our children's potential? | RNZ Facilitate Brave Behaviour • To stop the cycle of anxiety family members can encourage brave behaviour & stretch Children’s Comfort/Learning Zone • Otherwise, Comfort Zone will shrink & No Go Zone will increase Exposure • Exposure = gradually facing fears & unlearning the fear response through processes of deconditioning, habituation, and desensitisation. • Anxiety, like any emotion, occurs in waves. Help children learn it will pass and they can cope. • Support children to create a fear hierarchy/ladder • Each step needs to generate a mild to moderate level of fear • Repeated practice is key • Only tackle 1-2 fears at a time • Reward completion of each exposure task Additional Caregiver Strategies to Support Children Experiencing Anxiety • Modelling: Caregiver identifies and acknowledges when they feel anxious/stressed & shows their child how they cope in order to do what matters • Emotion coaching: identifying/labelling child’s anxiety, communicating understanding & acceptance of anxiety, helping problem solve. • Provide minimal reassurance: encourage child to answer/work through their questions/worries independently • Encourage independence, responsibilities, trying new things • Create a safe, positive learning environment • Caregiver self-care Child-focused Supports • Relaxation skills (e.g., paced breathing; progressive muscle relaxation) • Exercise • Cognitive restructuring (e.g., helpful self-talk) • Cognitive defusion (e.g., I’m having the thought I can’t do this) • Mindfulness • Medication Resources Programmes: • Cool Kids (parents & children) • Fearless Triple P (parents) • Parenting Anxious Children Education Sessions (parents; https://www.cdhb.health.nz/ your-health/supportingyoung-people-with-anxietystrategies-for-parents/)