Paul Angel
CHMN 301 – B01 LUO
by
Disturbing Behavior Paper
The Impact of Anxiety in Adolescence
LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
Submitted to Dr. Steve Vandegriff
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of
Randall, Jeff. “Anxiety Disorders in Adolescence: Characteristics, Prevalence, and
Comorbidities.” Clinical psychology review. 14, no. 2 (January 1994): p. 114.
Ibid. p. 115.
1
Anxiety disorder has been identified among youth workers and psychologists as
becoming increasingly common among the adolescents of the modern culture in which we live.
There are two types of anxieties that will be focused on: overanxious disorder (OAD), and
generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). According to an article presented by the University of
Pittsburgh, OAD is defined as “excessive, unrealistic, and persistent anxiety or worry, for a
period of at least 6 months, that is not triggered solely by an identifiable situation or
psychosocial stressor.”1 Furthermore, GAD is defined as “excessive, unrealistic, and persistent
anxiety or worry, for a period of at least 6 months, about two or more life circumstances not
attributable to another… disorder.”2 In layman’s terms, both disorders could be understood as
worrying, showing significant distress, or thinking irrationally out of fear to the point of physical
impairment. Anxiety is a mental disorder that involves the victim in thoughts about a
circumstance, situation, or event in their life that they have little to no control over, in which case
they begin to panic as their mind begins to realize that the thought is beyond their immediate
control.
A large part of anxiety has to do with the perception from the individual’s point of view
concerning the possible threat that a situation may present. It is different from fear, however, in
that “Fear occurs as a result of perceived imminent threat whereas anxiety is a state of
Description
1
2
3 Craske, Michelle G., Prof and Murray B. Stein Prof. "Anxiety." The Lancet (British Edition)
388, no. 10063 (2016): 3048-3059.
1
anticipation about perceived future threats.”3 This means that when the individual recognizes a
potential threat, whether it be legitimate or fantasy, they will begin to respond out of a perception
4 "Anxiety And Depression In Adolescence | Child Mind Institute", Child Mind Institute, last
modified 2021, accessed February 4, 2021, https://childmind.org/report/2017-childrens-
mental-health-report/anxiety-depression-adolescence/.
2
that something will indeed happen, whether or not the threat is truly existent and worthy of such
a reaction. In terms of statistical data, nearly one-third of all adolescents will meet the necessary
criteria mentioned above to be diagnosed as having an anxiety disorder by the time they are 18
years old.4 With these statistics in place then, it is easily recognizable that anxiety is a very real
issue in the day and age in which we live, and we should be pursuing ways to help the youth of
our day deal with it.
Examples
Anxiety is most easily recognized when the individual suffers from an anxiety attack.
This episode, which can happen quite unexpectedly, usually results in the one who is having the
attack beginning to breathe heavily and more rapidly, sweat, find themselves fatigued, having
difficulty speaking, rocking back and forth, having a heightened sensitivity to their surroundings,
and having a hard time focusing on anything other than the present worry. An example of this
that I had the opportunity to personally was at a camp that I staffed a few years ago. During one
of the talks, one of the students in my group, let’s call him Frank, came and found me in the back
where I was running the sound board with many of the physical symptoms mentioned above.
Upon asking him how he was feeling, he shared that he was having an anxiety attack and asked
if we could step outside the lecture hall until he was able to regain his composure and allow the
attack to pass. During the midst of the attack, he displayed hyperventilation, sweating, rocking
back and forth, and having a hard time with thinking outside his illusionary fears that were not
reasonable at the time. In an effort to help him get through his attack, we began to talk about
One of the most effective solutions to the anxiety disorder that many adolescents face is
the practice of coping. Coping is defined as “cognitive and behavioral efforts to manage specific
external and/or internal demands that are appraised as taxing or exceeding the resources of the
person”5 Coping allows for the individual to recognize that they are in a position of anxiety-
produced stress and allows them to mentally think their way out of the situation at hand that
seems to be unrealistically frightening them and leading them to be anxious in the first place.
The biblical response that can be turned to in Scripture is to recognize that God knows
that we will face anxieties and ask Him to grant us peace and strength in our moments of worry
and doubt. In countless biblical passages, men of God are seen crying out to God to sustain them
in seasons of doubt and uncertainty that are causing them to be anxious. In one of the most clear
discussions on the subject, Jesus promises His disciple that they need not be anxious about
tomorrow, because their God who cares for the lilies of the field and feeds the birds of the air
will by no means neglect to care for the people who He loves. According to John Piper, “Anxiety
stems from a lack of faith in our heavenly Father, as unbelief gets the upper hand in our hearts.
Much anxiety, Jesus says, comes from little faith.”6 In conclusion then, it is important to realize
5Simpson, David, Liza Suarez, Lauren Cox, and Sucheta Connolly. "The Role of Coping
Strategies in Understanding the Relationship between Parental Support and Psychological
Outcomes in Anxious Youth." Child & Adolescent Social Work Journal 35, no. 4 (2018):
407-421.
6 "Fear & Anxiety", Desiring God, last modified 2021, accessed February 4, 2021,
https://www.desiringgod.org/topics/fear-and-anxiety#.
3
some of his hobbies, and after a few minutes, that helped him to calm down and enjoy the rest of
his camp experience that night.
Solutions
Biblical Response
4
that Christians have the hope that they need not be anxious about the future, or really
anything that impacts our safety or security because our Creator and Heavenly Father desires to
provide for His creation for whom He has shown great love.
5
Bibliography
"Anxiety And Depression In Adolescence | Child Mind Institute". Child Mind Institute. Last
modified 2021. Accessed February 4, 2021. https://childmind.org/report/2017-childrens-
mental-health-report/anxiety-depression-adolescence/.
Craske, Michelle G., Prof and Murray B. Stein Prof. "Anxiety." The Lancet (British Edition)
388, no. 10063 (2016): 3048-3059.
"Fear & Anxiety". Desiring God. Last modified 2021. Accessed February 4, 2021.
https://www.desiringgod.org/topics/fear-and-anxiety#.
Randall, Jeff. “Anxiety Disorders in Adolescence: Characteristics, Prevalence, and
Comorbidities.” Clinical psychology review. 14, no. 2 (January 1994): 113–137.
Simpson, David, Liza Suarez, Lauren Cox, and Sucheta Connolly. "The Role of Coping
Strategies in Understanding the Relationship between Parental Support and Psychological
Outcomes in Anxious Youth." Child & Adolescent Social Work Journal 35, no. 4 (2018):
407-421.
