ScienceMadeSimple: Easy Explanations for Everyone

Introduction Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health challenges faced by adolescents today. For many teenagers, anxiety goes far beyond everyday stress. It can interfere with concentration at school, strain friendships, disrupt sleep, and quietly erode confidence during a critical stage of emotional development. While medication is sometimes used, many families and clinicians prefer psychological approaches that help adolescents understand and manage anxiety rather than suppress symptoms. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one such approach. It is structured, skills-based, and focused on helping young people recognize unhelpful thought patterns, respond differently to fear, and gradually regain a sense of control. A 2016 systematic review and meta-analysis published in BMC Psychiatry examined how effective CBT is for adolescents with clinically diagnosed anxiety disorders. By combining evidence from multiple studies across Europe, North America, and Asia, t...