Talking back-to-school anxiety with U of M

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (08/28/2024) — Back-to-school season can be filled with mixed feelings for young learners. While some students are excited to return to the classroom, it is also a cause of anxiety for many others. 

Lidan Gu, PhD, with the University of Minnesota Medical School and M Health Fairview, speaks about the signs and causes of back to school anxiety, and how parents can provide support. 

Q: What is anxiety?

Dr. Gu: Anxiety is like an internal alarm system that alerts us to potential threats or stressors. It is a natural process and is essential for human survival. A little anxiety can help us to be more prepared for school, work and day-to-day tasks, and thus promotes positive outcomes. However, it can be a problem when anxiety becomes too intense and interferes with our abilities to deal with tasks or solve problems effectively. It can also cause people to try to avoid situations that cause them anxiety.

Q: What are some common sources of anxiety during the back-to-school season?

Dr. Gu: Going back to school may trigger anxious reactions for a variety of reasons. First, going back to school is a time of transition and change. For students who are more comfortable with specific routines, a change in their routine can trigger anxiety and worry. Second, going back to school means increased learning activities. In comparison to activities at a summer camp or unstructured playtime, learning activities require more mental effort and self-control skills to get positive feedback. When a student anticipates that going to school will not lead to positive or rewarding feedback, the student is more likely to feel anxious or worried.

Lastly, increased social demands can also cause anxiety. For students who are not accustomed to being away from their parents, going to school can trigger separation anxiety. Students who are typically shy may find going back to school to be anxiety-provoking. Those who are sensitive to peer reactions may also feel more stressed about returning to the school environment. Students with certain disabilities or immunocompromised status may deal with additional worries surrounding their health when returning to school.

Q: What are some of the symptoms of anxiety in children?

Dr. Gu: Depending on how close the perceived “threat” is — i.e. how soon they’ll be starting school — children may feel different levels of anxiety symptoms. When children are reminded a few weeks out from their start date, they may feel mild worry or anxiousness. This can present as restlessness, irritability or being generally more emotional. As the first day gets closer, children may show increased anxiety symptoms, such as difficulty concentrating on activities or difficulty falling asleep. Some children may experience physical effects of anxiety such as increased heart rate, headaches, stomachaches, decreased appetite, increased sweating or needing to use the bathroom more often.

Q: How can young children manage their anxiety? How can parents provide support?

Dr. Gu: Helping young children name their anxiety is a crucial first step. They often lack the ability to connect their symptoms to their anxiety sources, which adults likely have more experience with. Parents and caregivers should acknowledge their emotions and potential causes, validate their experiences and help them understand what their anxiety is. Parents should also talk with children about their specific worries, which can help identify the sources of anxiety. It’s important for parents to remember that what may seem minor to adults can be significant to children.

When students worry about the new school year, they may only focus on the stressful aspects. Reminding them of positive aspects, like their favorite classes or going to recess, can help. Creating positive associations with school, such as celebrating the first day together or planning special activities for a Monday can also be beneficial. For children who struggle with learning, reviewing school accommodations and discussing childrens’ concerns is useful.

For students who are concerned about social problems, it will be helpful to discuss social problem-solving and identify support available for working on social skills. For clinically significant anxiety symptoms, seeking professional support from a children's mental health provider is important.

Q: What work are you doing at the U of M to advance mental health research?

Dr. Gu: Having chronic medical conditions can be stressful and anxiety-provoking. My research focuses on understanding the neuropsychological aspects and mental health factors that can promote effective adjustment, coping and self-management in the pediatric solid organ transplant population. One of my current research projects is to develop an effective assessment of psychosocial concerns in pediatric kidney transplant recipients. With this assessment, my colleagues and I hope to be able to identify patients’ mental health and psychosocial concerns, understand how these concerns are related to health decision making and medical adherence, and how these concerns can be addressed through a multidisciplinary approach.

Lidan Gu, PhD, is an assistant professor with the University of Minnesota Medical School and a pediatric psychologist with M Health Fairview. She specializes in psychological evaluation and consultation for children and adolescents with chronic medical conditions and neurodevelopmental disorders. Her research interests include the impacts of mental health on health-related decision making.

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The University of Minnesota Medical School is at the forefront of learning and discovery, transforming medical care and educating the next generation of physicians. Our graduates and faculty produce high-impact biomedical research and advance the practice of medicine. We acknowledge that the U of M Medical School is located on traditional, ancestral and contemporary lands of the Dakota and the Ojibwe, and scores of other Indigenous people, and we affirm our commitment to tribal communities and their sovereignty as we seek to improve and strengthen our relations with tribal nations. For more information about the U of M Medical School, please visit med.umn.edu.