La angustia en los niños

Abstract

The author outlines the multiple forms in which anxiety may manifest itself in childhood. Anxiety is a disabling condition which can lead to personality damage or to established patterns of maladaptive behavior. It may well leave, as a legacy for adult life, a facilitation in dealing with problems of reality through one or other forms of sickness. In addition, there is a very considerable risk that an environment may be created which will tend to be self-perpetuating. There is a very great field for early diagnosis of parents and children "at risk" in this way. Having noted those at risk, there remains a massive job of mental education of a special kind, on an individual basis and thus costly in terms of "manpower." There is a need, therefore, for a supportive advisory counselling services from both doctors and nurses, at infant welfare or well-baby clinics; and also in the schools, with counselling of both teachers and parents. This would be a full-time job for a school nurse closely supported by the school doctor in frequent attendance. Inevitably, it will involve the health visitor whose sophistication in this pattern of investigation will become essential. Anti-social acts, including truancy, theft, and deliquency may be an attempt to test out the parents' level of acceptance, and to relieve anxiety and its sequelae which can be temporarily forgotten in the excitement of criminal behavior (AU)