🧠 Assessment of Anxiety and Depression in Childhood and Adolescence in Panama

When we talk about emotional disorders , we enter complex territory. According to Barlow (2023), this term encompasses a variety of conditions such as anxiety disorders, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorders, somatic disorders, eating disorders, and dissociative disorders.

Even personality disorders, such as Borderline Personality Disorder , are characterized by marked emotional dysregulation , understood as periods of irritability with recurrent tantrums or outbursts in response to environmental stressors (Martínez, 2018).

Given the breadth of the topic, at Neuropsyedu we want to focus today on educating about two of the most common internalizing disorders in our young population: anxiety and depression .

🇵🇦 Panamanian Perspective: Symptoms and Warning Signs

To understand how these disorders manifest themselves in our context, it is vital to refer to the Panamanian author Dennis Cardoze (2007) in his work "Discipline problems in school: manual for teachers" .

😰 How to identify anxiety?

Cardoze defines specific symptoms that parents and teachers should not overlook:

  • Constant restlessness.

  • Physiological symptoms: Sweating, difficulty breathing, tremors.

  • Ruminative thoughts: Excessive worry.

  • Somatization: Physical discomfort (stomach aches, headaches) caused by psychological factors.

😔 How to identify childhood depression?

On the other hand, depression in children and adolescents, according to Cardoze, is expressed through:

  • Sadness and pessimism.

  • Irritability (sometimes more common than sadness in children).

  • Changes in eating or sleeping routines.

  • Anhedonia: Loss of interest in activities that were previously enjoyed.

  • Significant decrease in academic performance (severe cases).

💡 Clinical Fact: A very common characteristic is high comorbidity . This means that it is not unusual for anxiety and depression to occur together and simultaneously in the same patient.

⚠️ Common Triggering Factors

In children and adolescents, there are various causes that can trigger psycho-emotional disturbances. In Panama, we highlight two critical factors:

1. Chronic Diseases (Epilepsy)

A study conducted in Panama by psychologist Ríos (2021) revealed that pediatric patients diagnosed with epilepsy showed a slight vulnerability to developing anxiety and depressive symptoms. Managing a chronic condition impacts mental health.

2. School Bullying

The emotional damage caused by bullying is undeniable. Its magnitude depends on the type of bullying, its intensity, and its duration (Rodríguez and Vilariño, 2013).

📌 Important Resource: The Ministry of Education of Panama (MEDUCA) , together with UNICEF, created the Protocol for Action in Cases of School Bullying (2016) . We strongly recommend that parents and teachers read it to minimize risk factors.

📋 Psychological Tests for Assessment

As specialists, we use standardized tools to accurately measure emotional indicators. These are some of the tests we administer:

✅ Educational-Clinical Questionnaire on Anxiety and Depression (CECAD)

It allows measuring indicators such as uselessness, irritability, psychophysiological symptoms, anxiety, and depression.

✅ Beck Inventories for Children and Adolescents-2 (BYI-II)

Through 5 questionnaires, it collects relevant indicators: anxiety, depression, anger, disruptive behavior, and self-concept.

✅ Millon Clinical Inventory for Adolescents-II (MACI-II)

Personality test that evaluates personality patterns and clinical syndromes (depressed mood, anxiety, mood dysregulation, distortions of reality, suicidal ideation, among others).

✅ Behavior Assessment System for Children and Adolescents (BASC-3)

A very comprehensive multi-method and multidimensional system. It assesses anxiety, depression, internalizing and externalizing symptoms, somatization, withdrawal, and impairment in functional and adaptive skills.

✅ Bullying and School Violence (AVE)

Specifically designed to measure indicators related to harassment (bullying, intimidation, social exclusion) and its clinical consequences (anxiety, post-traumatic stress, low self-esteem, self-loathing).

🏥 Do you need professional help?

If you notice these symptoms in your child or student, early detection is key. At Neuropsyedu , we offer clinical psychology and assessment services.

We'd be happy to help you. 📞 Contact us for more information: +507 6535 6362

📚 Bibliographic References

  • Barlow, DH (2023). Clinical Manual of Psychological Disorders: Step-by-Step Treatment . Editorial El Manual Moderno.

  • Cardoze, D. (2007). Discipline problems in schools: a manual for teachers . Panama: Second Edition.

  • Martínez Bartel, A. (2018). Influence of parental emotional regulation on the emotional dysregulation of their children .

  • Ministry of Education of Panama. (2016). Protocol for Action in Cases of School Bullying . Retrieved from MEDUCA.

  • Ríos, RP (2021). Psycho-emotional alterations associated with epilepsy in pediatric patients aged 8 to 11 years at the José Domingo de Obaldía Maternal and Child Hospital. Research and Critical Thinking , 9(3), 68-85.

  • Rodríguez, JV, Seijo, D., & Vilariño, M. (2013). Consequences of school bullying on the psycho-emotional health of children and adolescents. Researchgate Journal .