Seattle's Child

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Anxiety resources for families

Seattle Times Education Lab multicultural mental health guide. Illustration by Jennifer Luxton

Unmasking anxiety: Resources for families

Kids in Washington State are suffering from alarmingly high levels of anxiety and stress, a situation some parents fear will be elevated by the state’s upcoming mask mandate lift. In fact, Washington, in line with many states across the country is experiencing a crisis in children’s mental health since the pandemic started.

AccordingĀ  to National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMH) 2021 Washington Fact Sheet, 82,000 Washington kids ages 12-17 struggle with anxiety and depression.Ā More than 50% of Washington children ages 11-17 years old have thought about suicide or self-harm during the pandemic according to the Washington Chapter of The American Academy of Pediatrics. Ā And, the CDC reports that emergency room visits for children ages 5-17 have increased by more than 24% since the beginning of the pandemic. For pediatrician tips on helping to manage anxiety in kids, check out Dr. Sarah Bergman Lewis’ article When Anxiety Takes a Room in Your House.

Below are a list of resources for families dealing with child anxiety or other mental health concerns:

Anxiety Reduction Programs for Kids

  • Seattle Childrenā€™s Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine Anxiety Program. Anxious children (ages 5 to 17) and their parents participate in concurrent groups (based on age group) to learn proven anxiety management techniques. seattlechildrens.org or 206-987-2164.
  • The Child Anxiety Center at EBTCS. A place for kids dealing with diagnosed anxiety disorders or just in need of a good therapist to navigate the ups and downs of growing up in a pandemic. Evidence Based Treatment Centers of Seattle: ebtseattle.com/child-anxiety/ or call 206-374-0109.
  • Seattle Times Education Lab mental health resource guide for teens: Children ages 13 and up can self-refer for mental health care. The Times, King County Public health and local teens created this multicultural guide to help young people find the help they need: seattletimes.com/education-lab/seattle-area-youth-created-this-guide-to-connect-teens-to-multicultural-mental-health-care/

COVID-19 Parental Resource Kits

Books for parents

  • Parenting Your Anxious Child with Mindfulness and Acceptance by Christopher McCurry, Ph.D.
  • Helping Your Anxious Child by Ronald Rapee, Ph.D.
  • Getting to Calm, The Early Years by Laura S. Kastner, Ph.D.
  • Getting to Calm: Cool-Headed Strategies for Parenting Tweens + Teens by Laura S. Kastner, Ph.D.

Books for children

  • I Bet I Won’t Fret: A Workbook to Help Children with Generalized Anxiety Disorder by Timothy A. Sisemore, Ph.D.
  • What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming Anxiety (What to Do Guides for Kids) by Dawn Huebner, Ph.D.

Films

Ask your school or library for a screening of Angst, by Seattle resident and documentary filmmaker Matt Skerritt. This hour long film explores the disturbing uptick in anxiety in children; its causes, effects and how to deal with it. The filmmakers have also created an online resource for parents at angstmovie.com/resources/.

Anxiety Reducing Games

Check out the Mightier program developed by clinicians from Boston Childrenā€™s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. With Mightier, anxious kids practice cooling down/calming down or ā€œtaking a pauseā€ in a fun play environment: www.mightier.com

Smart Device Apps (search your device App Store)

 

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Seattle's Child Staff