Anxiety in School: Teenage Symptoms and Evidence-Based Strategies

As the back-to-school season rolls around, many teens find themselves caught in a whirlwind of emotions. While some may feel excited about reuniting with friends and diving into new classes, it’s completely normal for others to experience a sense of anxiety. The transition back to school can bring about a mix of anticipation and worry, as students face new challenges, social situations, and academic expectations.

However, for some teens, this anxiety can linger and intensify, turning into a heavy burden that affects their daily lives. Alarmingly, studies show that nearly 40 percent of American teenagers will grapple with an anxiety disorder at some point. This statistic underscores the importance for parents to be aware of the signs of anxiety in their children.

Understanding the difference between typical back-to-school jitters and a more serious anxiety disorder can help you provide the support your teen needs to navigate this challenging time. Recognizing these signs early on can make all the difference in ensuring your child feels supported and understood.

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What You’ll Learn

• What are some reasons teens have back-to-school anxiety?
• What are some types of anxiety?
• How you can you help your child overcome anxiety about starting school?
• When do you know if your child needs additional support for anxiety?

Quick Read

As the school year begins, many teens experience a mix of excitement and anxiety. While some look forward to reconnecting with friends and new classes, others feel overwhelmed by academic pressures, social dynamics, and the shift from a relaxed summer routine. Alarmingly, nearly 40 percent of American teenagers will face an anxiety disorder at some point, highlighting the need for parents to recognize the signs of anxiety and differentiate between typical jitters and more serious issues.

Common symptoms of anxiety in teens include withdrawal from activities, trouble sleeping, and difficulty concentrating. High school students report increased stress levels, with many experiencing anxiety related to schoolwork and social situations. To support teens, parents can model healthy stress management, encourage self-care practices, and foster strong connections with friends and family. In cases where anxiety significantly impacts daily life, professional treatment may be necessary to help teens develop coping skills and address underlying issues.

Five Reasons Teens Might Have Back-to-School Anxiety

Back-to-school anxiety can stem from various factors, including academic pressures, social dynamics, and the transition from a relaxed summer routine to the structured environment of school. Here are just some of the reasons your teen may be anxious about returning to school:

1. Academic Pressure and Parental Expectations

The pressure to excel academically can weigh heavily on teenagers, often leading to anxiety and stress. Concerns about grades, standardized tests, and the sheer volume of homework can create a sense of overwhelm, making it difficult for them to find a healthy balance.

2. Social Anxiety

Social circles are everything to a teen. If they are worried about fitting in, making friends, or getting bullied, it can cause tremendous anxiety.

3. Fear of Change

Starting a new school or grade level can evoke feelings of fear and uncertainty as they face new environments, unfamiliar faces, and different academic expectations. Read tips for helping your kid get through this tough transition and learn to embrace change.

4. New Schedule

The slow pace of summer is coming to an abrupt halt, and many teens have difficulty adjusting back to a strict schedule with early morning wake-up calls.

5. Body Image Issues

Adolescence is a time of rapid physical and emotional changes, which can lead to heightened concerns about body image and self-esteem. As teenagers compare themselves to their friends and celebrity images on social media, they may develop unrealistic expectations about their appearance.

Increasing Anxiety in High School Students

School and stress seem to go hand in hand for many students, In particular, high school anxiety is on the rise.

As reported by the American Psychological Association in 2024:

• 70 percent of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 recognize anxiety or depression as significant concerns among their peers
• 75 percent of high school students report feeling emotions such as boredom, anger, sadness, fear, or stress while at school
• On a scale of 1 to 10, where the average stress level for adults is 3.8, American teens rate their stress at 5.8
• Additionally, 75 percent of high school students and 50 percent of middle schoolers consistently experience stress related to their schoolwork

Anxiety Disorder vs. School Anxiety: Teenager Symptoms

Can school give you anxiety? Yes, but there is a significant difference between temporary anxiety over school and an anxiety disorder that requires professional treatment. Teens with an anxiety disorder experience very high levels of anxiety and typically experience both physical and emotional symptoms. Moreover, these feelings get worse over time, rather than improving on their own.

If a child’s anxiety is connected with school, they may go through what’s known as school refusal: refusing to get out of bed and get ready in the morning. That’s when therapists hear from parents concerned about the fact that “my child won’t go to school because of anxiety.”

Teens with anxiety disorders struggle with feelings of tension and fear. These symptoms are ongoing and interfere with daily activities. Furthermore, the disorder affects relationships with peers and family members.

While there are different types of teen anxiety disorders, many of these disorders manifest in a set of common symptoms. Here are some of the signs that a child is experiencing a level of anxiety that warrants an assessment by a mental health professional.

• Loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy
• Withdrawing from social interactions
• Trouble sleeping at night, but often seems fatigued during the day
• Loss of appetite and other changes in eating habits
• Difficulty concentrating
• Extreme mood swings
• Performance dip in school, poor report cards, poor testing results
• Frequent unexplained physical complaints, such as stomachaches and headaches
• Expressing feelings of hopelessness, despair, and worthlessness
• Using drugs and drinking as forms of self-medication for anxiety
• Avoiding people, places, and things that trigger anxious feelings

Parents who recognize these symptoms in a teen should reach out for support and an expert assessment.

 “Every child is different, especially as they mature into adolescence, so parents need to judge behavior and happiness levels based on their intimate knowledge of their unique child, rather than on any checklist that describes the so-called average child.”

Barbara Nosal, PhD, LMFT, LDAC, Newport Academy’s Chief Clinical Officer

Anxiety in College

It’s not just high school students who deal with anxiety in school. In addition, college students experience high anxiety levels.

Anxiety disorders are one of the most common mental health problems on college campuses, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA). Here are some recent statistics:

• Nearly half of all U.S. college students report experiencing moderate to severe anxiety symptoms
• Only about 37 percent of college students reported accessing therapy or counseling services
• Severe anxiety contributes to a 30 percent higher dropout rate among affected students compared to their peers
• White students are almost twice as likely to receive mental health treatment as Black and Asian students

Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Teens

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is the most common teen anxiety disorder. Onset can be as early as age 6, but symptoms usually appear around age 11.

This type of anxiety in teenagers involves excessive anxiety or worry over everyday events, which lasts for a prolonged period of time. Teens with generalized anxiety experience intense emotional stress. In addition, they have a range of anxiety-related symptoms, including those listed above. Moreover, teens with GAD typically experience excessive worrying and low self-esteem.

Researchers theorize that the causes of general anxiety disorder include a disruption in how the brain reacts to the signals it uses to identify and confront danger. Fortunately, however, GAD is very treatable.

Numerous randomized clinical trials have investigated the effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in children and adolescents. About 60 to 80 percent of young people show noticeable improvement after treatment.

Social Anxiety in School

Teens with social anxiety find school extremely challenging. Sometimes referred to as social phobia, social anxiety disorder is when a person is overcome with fear and worry in social settings. Therefore, this type of anxiety in teenagers negatively impacts a teen’s everyday activities, including time in school.

Typically, a person with a social phobia experiences intense anxiety that leads to deep feelings of embarrassment and fear of being judged by others. Consequently, a teen with social phobia often withdraws and avoids contact with peers and teachers. Thus, social anxiety can be paralyzing for teenagers in school.

Subsequent difficulties caused by social anxiety symptoms arise in school, at work, and in personal relationships. Therefore, teens who experience these symptoms for more than six months are often diagnosed with social anxiety.

Additional social anxiety symptoms include

• Feeling nauseous
• Sweating
• Nervous shaking
• Unexpected blushing
• Fear of having to talk or perform in front of a group.

Teen Panic Attacks at School

Anxiety attacks often begin in the late teens or early adulthood. Unlike panic attacks, anxiety attacks are reactions to external stressors, such as anxiety in school. An anxiety attack is typically a symptom of an anxiety disorder. However, not everyone with an anxiety disorder will experience anxiety attacks.

A teenager undergoing a panic attack in school might experience any or all of the following symptoms:

• Feeling fearful or full of dread
• Shortness of breath
• Racing heart
• Cold sweats
• Dizziness and wooziness.

However, anxiety attacks tend to be short-lived. As a result, a panic attack in school will typically pass once the child is able to leave the stressful situation. Therefore, teens with anxiety in school may experience such attacks during the school day, but not at home.

How to Help a Child with Anxiety About School

In response to school anxiety, teenagers can use a variety of stress-relief tools to deal with feelings of anxiety in school. Here are some powerful tips you can share with your teen. These approaches can help teenagers counteract school fears and build stress resilience.

Parent Role Modeling

Parents can help their teens learn how to deal with anxiety in school by serving as role models for stress management. “The biggest gift parents can give their kids is the ability to cope with stressful situations,” says Barbara Nosal, PhD, LMFT, LDAC, Newport’s Chief Clinical Officer. “Children learn by example; therefore, parents need to be mindful of how they manage their own stress.” Moreover, when parents are anxious, children not only sense it, but the stress also trickles down, Dr. Nosal says. “Children today are under enough stress of their own without taking on parental anxiety,” she notes.

Breathing Exercises

Breathing exercises are proven to have a calming effect on the nervous system; simply taking three slow, deep breaths triggers the body’s relaxation response and quiets the “fight or flight” response. This is an exercise that a child or teen can do at a particularly stressful moment without anyone noticing.

Journaling

Writing in a journal is another evidence-based tool for stress relief. Encourage your child to write a little bit every day about what they’re experiencing, as a way of interpreting and making sense of their emotions.

Self-Care Strategies

Sleep and good nutrition go a long way toward alleviating teen anxiety. Without these basics, it’s difficult to restore and maintain inner calm. Additionally, you can help your teen establish a balanced daily routine that includes time for homework, physical activity, hobbies, and relaxation.

Highlighting the Positive

Help your anxious child recall good times from the past, including fun times at school. In addition, highlight positive moments that are happening right now and will happen in the future.

Yoga and Meditation

Research shows that meditation and yoga practices reduce stress. A study published in JAMA Psychiatry placed 226 men and women with generalized anxiety disorder in three groups—CBT, Kundalini yoga, or stress management education. The results showed that while CBT remains gold standard in treatment for GAD, yoga was significantly more effective than standard education on stress management.

Connection

Close friends can help teens deal with anxiety. Acceptance and support from friends are essential to a teen’s well-being. Therefore, an authentic connection with a caring friend can alleviate anxiety in school. Building a few strong, trusting friendships is a powerful approach for how to deal with social anxiety at school.

Family Time

The busy school-year schedule can keep the family apart. Everyone has someplace to be or something to do. So make a point of eating together at least one or two nights during the week. Moreover, turn off all devices while you’re eating, so you can focus on the food and each other. As a result, meals become a time for each family member to share what’s been going on in their day and their week.

Getting Outside

Research has repeatedly proven that time outdoors reduces levels of stress, depression, and anxiety. When teens aren’t in school, spending time hiking or at the beach can help relieve anxiety.

Positive Visualization

Mental imagery and visualization are powerful tools for enhancing teen mental health. When teenagers practice positive visualization, they learn how to regulate their emotions and relieve stress.

Personalized Stress Busters

Finally, parents can ask their child or teen what would support them in transitioning back to school more easily. They might have very specific ideas about what would be helpful. Maybe it’s a new outfit they would feel especially confident in. Or having an after-school plan in place for the first day or two can help. That might be a relaxing family activity, or a get-together with a close friend.

Treatment for Teen Anxiety

When anxiety at school is manifesting as constant fear, dread, social anxiety, and/or panic attacks at school, teens need treatment to gain coping schools and heal underlying trauma. At Newport Academy, we support teens ages 12–18 with school anxiety by helping them understand their triggers and use healthy approaches to regulate their emotions and reactions. In addition, our academic component gives teens a new, positive experience of learning that helps them let go of their negative associations with school.

Moreover, teens address their social anxiety in school through forming authentic connections with caring peers they trust. When they return to their home schools, our clients are equipped to handle high school anxiety and empowered to be their true selves. Newport Academy has residential locations in California, Connecticut, Minnesota, Utah, Virginia, and Washington State. Contact us today to find out more.

Sources 

Research.com

FOCUS Volume 15, Number 2,

The American Institute of Stress