Anxiety and school avoidance in an 8-year-old child with epilepsy

Anxiety is ubiquitous in school age children. Co-occurring medical illness adds to the complexity of identifying pathologic anxiety as opposed to that of typical development such as with social interactions or academic pressures. Anxiety may also occur in the context of cognitive difficulties or ina...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jay Salpekar, D. Dilara Ertenu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-01-01
Series:Epilepsy & Behavior Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589986424000169
Description
Summary:Anxiety is ubiquitous in school age children. Co-occurring medical illness adds to the complexity of identifying pathologic anxiety as opposed to that of typical development such as with social interactions or academic pressures. Anxiety may also occur in the context of cognitive difficulties or inattention, both of which may be exacerbated by epilepsy or by anti-seizure medicines themselves. Treatment strategies may require patience and long-term observations to account for the typical range of stressors that may be expected with disease progression or with development through childhood. This section illustrates the challenge of diagnosis and management of anxiety in the context of epilepsy in a school aged child and addresses nuances that neurology clinicians need to consider. Practical strategies for management including stepwise options for pharmacologic treatment will be emphasized.
ISSN:2589-9864