Inside the Anxious Mind: Cognitive Mechanisms in Youth Anxiety

Anxiety disorders are some of the most prevalent psychiatric conditions, affecting about 1 in 12 children and 1 in 4 adolescents. In particular, anxious adolescents are characterized by impaired social and academic functioning. This thesis aims to study the relationship between anxiety and five cognitive constructs: repetitive negative thinking (RNT), drive to control, intolerance of uncertainty, concern over mistakes and negative self-evaluation. Seven questionnaires were administered to high school students at Istituto Artigianelli in Trento (TN), Italy. The results indicate a high prevalence of anxiety among students and reveal age-related effects on obsessive-compulsive symptoms and self-esteem. Anxiety remains a topic of significant concern, and further research is needed to reduce its burden.