Contact:
Dacia Morris
(212) 543-5421
morrisd@pi.cpmc.columbia.edu
 

 

INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITY:
These Are Anxious Times, But Even More So For Teens Suffering From Anxiety

WHO: Anne Marie Albano, Ph.D
Noted Anxiety Expert Leads NIMH-Funded Child/Adolescent Anxiety Multimodal Treatment Study (CAMS) at NYS Psychiatric Institute
WHAT: New School Term Spells More Anxiety for Teens
WHERE: NYS Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI)
1051 Riverside Drive @ W. 165th St.

 

Well, a new school year has just begun. Parents may be heaving sighs of relief, but for adolescents with generalized anxiety disorder or GAD the occasion is a time of “fear and trembling.”

Troubled by the uncertainty in any new situation, some are made even more tense by the ever-present reminders of the September 11 attacks as anniversary events are planned and celebrated around the city. With an almost daily barrage of news reports of potential plots and fluctuating terror alerts, teenagers who live in New York City may be worrying too much about more than just what to expect on the first day of high school. Parents and teachers should pay keen attention to the added stress these events are sure to induce in the average teen and, especially, in teens with GAD.

“Families who are seeing signs of excessive worry in their children should not dismiss it, but should seek help” urges Dr. Anne Marie Albano, a child psychologist and noted expert in anxiety disorders. “Anxiety, particularly the extreme kind we call GAD, can seriously limit a teen’s ability to enjoy a full and productive life in and out of school.”

Some type of therapy may be warranted for these children, but what’s most effective? Dr. Albano and colleagues will answer this question when they conclude a multi-site study to determine the effectiveness of a medication and cognitive behavioral therapy in combination and alone for the treatment of generalized anxiety as well as social anxiety and separation anxiety disorders.

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