Understanding Anxiety in Teenagers

About this course.

Adolescence is one of the most significant and demanding periods of human development, and it is also a key time for the onset of anxiety. Half of all mental health conditions that people experience in their lifetime begin by the mid-teens, and anxiety is the most common of these. The teenage years bring enormous physical, emotional, social and academic change all at once, and a degree of worry, nervousness and self-doubt is a completely normal part of growing up — the difficulty for the adults around a young person is knowing when ordinary worry has tipped over into something more serious, a level of anxiety that is excessive, persistent and starts to stop the teenager living their life. This course is designed for teachers, youth and college staff, parents, carers and anyone who supports teenagers, and it takes an awareness-level approach: its aim is to help you understand anxiety in young people, recognise the signs, respond supportively and know when and where to seek further help. It does not train you to diagnose or treat anxiety, and it is not a substitute for professional care from a GP or Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

You will explore why adolescence is a high-risk period for anxiety and how the developing teenage brain plays a part; the specific pressures that drive anxiety in young people today, from exams and friendships to body image and social media; the different forms anxiety can take and how it can look different in teenagers than in adults; practical, supportive strategies you can use day to day; and how anxiety links to safeguarding, low mood and self-harm, so you know when a worry becomes a concern that must be acted on. The course ends with a 20-question multiple-choice assessment, which you must pass at 80% to earn your CPD certificate.