The goal with this degree in psychology is to be working with the adolescent population through individual therapy, group therapy, motivational seminars and 3-7 day workshops. The adolescent years can be some of the most challenging, influential, emotional and difficult times in a person's life. Hormones are changing and life can seem overwhelming as they venture to build who they want to be in this world. Unfortunately, many teens lack healthy and positive adult guidance in developing their identity and many struggle with mental problems such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders and substance abuse. Of these few examples of mental health issues among teens, this paper will explore anxiety disorders for this population. It will cover different approaches and models to address anxiety, consider common dual diagnoses with anxiety and cover ethical and cultural concerns and issues surrounding adolescents. .
Anxiety is not always an alarm for concern. It can be a natural reaction to stress and actually help to cope with tense situations and assist in maintaining focus (National Institute of Mental Health, n.d.). When anxiety becomes overwhelming and an excessive and irrational fear is featured with everyday situations, it has become a condition (National Institute of Mental Health, n.d.). According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (2015), anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorders in the United States, affecting 40 million adults over the age of 18 (about 18% of the U.S. population). There are many different anxiety disorders that differ from one another in what induces the fear, anxiety, avoidant behavior and cognitive process and it takes careful attention to these details to classify the type of disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Typically the symptoms include a persistent fear or anxiety that lasts 6 months or more, respectively (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).