Anxiety in children can serve as a safeguard or become profoundly disruptive. For pediatricians, distinguishing between developmentally appropriate worry, generalized anxiety disorder and clinically significant anxiety is rarely straightforward. In this episode, we explore how anxiety presents across childhood, why it is more than "just nerves" and how pediatricians can play a key role in early identification and support.

Benjamin Mullin, PhD, is the lead psychologist of the Colorado OCD and Anxiety Program (COAP) at Children's Hospital Colorado, as well as an associate professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He is also the Leslie and William Vollbracht Family Chair in Stress and Anxiety Disorders.

Some highlights from this episode include:

• The realities of anxiety in kids
• When treatment is appropriate and when to refer
• Helping families understand anxiety without stigmatizing or minimizing their children's experience
• Strategies that work for long-term management

For more information on Children's Colorado, visit: childrenscolorado.org.