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Understanding Children and Young People’s Mental Health
How to recognise signs of stress and anxiety in children
and young people
A certain amount of worry or anxiety is to be expected at different points in a child’s
life, in response to situations they may find stressful, such as starting school, changing
schools or moving to a new area to live.
However, some children experience a higher level of anxiety that interferes with
their daily lives and prevents them from functioning properly at home, with their
friends or at school.
Some of the more common signs of this level of anxiety in children include:
• Not sleeping and/or repeatedly having bad dreams and nightmares
• Expressing negative thoughts and constantly worrying
• Outbursts of temper and being angry a lot
• Frequently complaining about physical ailments such as tummy pains
• Being unable to concentrate, being tense and irritable
• Significant change in eating habits – not eating properly.
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