Anxiety disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder update.

Anxiety disorders are one of the most common categories of psychopathology in children and adolescents. This article provides an overview of several anxiety disorders that are diagnosed often during childhood and adolescence, including separation anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Although anxiety disorders commonly show similar clinical characteristics during childhood and adulthood, this article highlights some of the differences that may present across the life span.