Phobias strike 5-year-olds

By ANGELA GREGORY

Children as young as 5 years old can suffer debilitating anxiety disorders, according to Phobic Trust co-founder Marcia Read.

Ms Read is the author of Phobi Faces Fear, a book aimed at helping children share their fears and worries with adults.

She hopes parents will read the book with their children to encourage discussion about problems such as school phobia and panic attacks.

Ms Read said problems could start much earlier than adolescence when such disorders were more commonly noticed.

Correspondence School principal of primary, Bruce McIntosh, confirmed there were primary-aged children studying at home because of social phobias or other issues involving anxiety.

Of the 811 fulltime primary students enrolled at the Correspondence School this year, 88 came under the psychological, psychosocial needs definition, including referrals by the Ministry of Education's group special education.

Mr McIntosh said they included children with behavioural problems such as fighting and disobedience.

At the secondary school level 600 of the 2069 Correspondence students were enrolled under the same category.

Senior dean Kate Ford said the school had used publications from the Phobic Trust before to support students with anxiety disorders. "Their books and videos are very good resources."

Group special education manager Barbara Disley said she was unable to say how big an issue anxiety phobias were among primary school children.

"It is not always clearly identified by those involved and may be hidden in unexplained absences from school."

Child fears

Social phobia is one of several categories of anxiety disorder. Identified as marked and persistent fear of situations where exposed to unfamiliar people or scrutiny.

Central fear of children with social phobia is that they will act in a manner that is humiliating or embarrassing in social situations.

When exposed to a feared situation they experience intense anxiety and distress.

Symptoms include crying, tantrums, freezing or shrinking from situation with unfamiliar people.

Can be a chronic and debilitating condition that may have an early onset and extend into adulthood.

Moderate to severe social phobia impacts negatively on academic performance, social relations and ability to undertake tasks of daily living.

High rates of social phobia co-exist with other anxiety and mood disorders.