DETERMINANTS AND RISK FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO ANXIETY VULNERABILITY AMONG ADOLESCENTS
DETERMINANTS AND RISK FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO ANXIETY VULNERABILITY AMONG ADOLESCENTS
Eliud Ngari Muriithi
ABSTRACT
The problem of adolescent anxiety disorders is increasing in the world, and its consequences on the future psychological and cardiovascular health are significant. This is a review of determinants and risk factors that lead to anxiety vulnerability among teenagers in the United Kingdom. There is evidence that psychosocial stressors, which include academic pressure, socioeconomic disadvantage, cyberbullying, and family instability, interact with biological processes, dysregulation in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and activation of the sympathetic nervous system. Lifestyle habits such as not embracing sleep hygiene, lack of exercise and unhealthy eating also contribute to the increased susceptibility to the presence of anxiety. Gender disparities predetermine an increased prevalence rate among female adolescents, whereas the populations with low income levels are characterized by greater exposure to chronic stress. The results raise the concern of early identification strategies in schools and the primary care level. Psychological resiliency intervention, social support intervention, and environmental determinants intervention should be implemented at multiple levels to address the anxiety-related morbidity during adolescence.
