This accessible guide offers a concise introduction to the science behind worry in children, summarising research from across psychology to explore the role of worry in a range of circumstances, from everyday worries to those that can seriously impact children’s lives.

Wilson draws on theories from clinical, developmental and cognitive psychology to explain how children’s worry is influenced by both developmental and systemic factors, examining the processes involved in pathological worry in a range of childhood anxiety disorders. Covering topics including different definitions of worry, the influence of children’s development on worry, Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) in children, and the role parents play in children’s worry, this book offers a new model of worry in children with important implications for prevention and intervention strategies.

Understanding Children’s Worry is valuable reading for students in clinical, educational and developmental psychology, and professionals in child mental health.