What Causes Anxiety in Teens?

February 5, 2025

By: Sarah Petzold, MS

Anxiety has been on an upward trajectory for decades, but in recent years, the prevalence of anxiety among individuals, specifically young people and teenagers, has spiked. Some studies have shown that anxiety levels have risen nearly 25% in recent years, largely attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. These heightened levels increasingly impact adolescents and teens. For parents, the increase in these numbers can be alarming and cause great concern for your children. One of the most common questions among parents is, what is contributing to this major increase in anxiety for teens?

What is Anxiety?

Before we dive in to the contributing factors, it’s important to first define anxiety. First and foremost, anxiety is a normal human emotion that everyone experiences. It is often perceived in a negative light because of the discomfort it can cause, but anxiety itself is helpful in the sense that it alerts us of a perceived threat or potential danger. 

For example, imagine you were walking across the street, and you noticed a car headed straight toward you, and it wasn’t stopping. Your fight or flight instinct would kick in, and your mind and body would signal that you need to get out of the way in order to save your life. This example shows exactly how anxiety can benefit and serve us. However, anxiety is often known for the less helpful effects, namely when anxiety causes excessive and persistent worry, fear, or uneasiness in a multitude of situations.

What are the Different Types of Anxiety?

It’s also important to note that there are different types of anxiety that can impact individuals and are unique to teenagers. Some common types include:

• Generalized Anxiety: Generalized anxiety is characterized by excessive and persistent worry about everyday things, such as school, work, sports and extracurricular activities, health, and relationships. An example may be a teenager feeling nervous or worried about their grades and experiencing test anxiety.
• Social Anxiety: Social anxiety is characterized by fear and avoidance of social situations and interactions. An example may be a teenager feeling nervous or worried about giving a presentation in class or attending a social function. 
• Phobias: Phobias are intense and overwhelming fears for certain situations and interfere in one’s life. Perhaps your teenager has a fear of flying, a fear of spiders, or a fear of small spaces.

What Contributes to Anxiety?

Everyone, specifically parents, would love to hear the cause of anxiety among teenagers. Unfortunately, there is no one sole cause of anxiety, but there are a number of factors that contribute to anxiety among teenagers.

Biological Factors: Genetics can play a major role in a teenager’s symptoms of anxiety. Anxiety runs in families, so some teenagers may be more vulnerable and susceptible to symptoms of anxiety if there is a family history of anxiety or mental health issues. A teenager’s brain chemistry may also contribute to symptoms of anxiety as neurotransmitter imbalances contribute to anxiety. Another biological factor is hormones. The teenage years are characterized by many changes in hormones, so these fluctuations can contribute to symptoms of anxiety.

Environmental Factors: In addition to biological factors, there are a number of environmental factors that can contribute to symptoms of anxiety:

• Life events such as the death of a loved one
• Family issues with siblings and/or parents
• Parental divorce
• Trauma, including childhood trauma, physical, emotional, or sexual abuse
• Bullying
• Experimentation with drugs and alcohol and peer pressure 
• Social media usage and the comparison game that it breeds
• High expectations and stress in our fast-paced world, including the competitive atmosphere of school, sports, and extracurricular activities

These examples are in no way an exhaustive list but provide an example of some of the environmental factors that can lead to feelings of anxiety.

Warning Signs and When to Seek Help

If you are concerned about your teenager experiencing symptoms of anxiety, it is important to pay attention to the warning signs. Some common warning signs include:

• Excessive worry about everyday situations
• Irritability or mood swings
• Difficulty concentrating or focusing
• Avoidance of difficult or new situations
• Physical symptoms such as headaches, stomachaches, muscle tension, or fatigue

If you notice any of these symptoms or other concerning symptoms, please feel free to reach out to one of our skilled clinicians. We have clinicians who would be happy to assist you with any questions or concerns regarding your teenager and discuss next steps including scheduling an intake session for your child. Therapy for teens can help them explore their emotions, develop coping strategies, and establish a solid foundation for emotional well-being.