Experts warn that children often show physical signs of anxiety before verbalising their worries, highlighting the need for early psychological support amid a notable rise in adolescent mental health disorders.
Children’s anxiety can show up in the body long before they can explain what is wrong, with stomach pain, headaches, muscle tension and even a raised temperature sometimes signalling stress rather than infection, according to child health guidance from the Cleveland Clinic, Healthline, WebMD and other paediatric sources.
Psychologist Lilia Shuvalova said some children also use complaints of illness to avoid school, but she stressed that parents should look closely at whether it is an isolated episode or a repeated pattern. A one-off refusal, she suggested, may simply reflect panic before a test or another short-term worry, while a habitual need to stay home may point to a deeper problem.
Shuvalova advised parents to speak with the child and try to identify what is making school feel difficult. That advice matches guidance from several children’s hospitals, which say ongoing physical symptoms linked to worry should not be dismissed and may need both medical and psychological attention.
The broader concern is reflected in recent Russian data cited by Vechernyaya Moskva, which reported a 53% rise in mental health disorders among adolescents aged 15 to 17 over the past decade. Doctors quoted by the paper have linked that increase to a range of pressures, including stress and other emotional strains that can become visible in day-to-day behaviour and physical complaints.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
