Pige læser i psykiatrien

This page provides you with information about the diagnosis and gives advice on what you can do if you suffer from anxiety.

Børne- og Ungdomspsykiatrisk Afdeling (The Centre for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) is responsible for the treatment of anxiety in children and adolescents in Central Denmark Region.

What is anxiety?

All people experience anxiety and worries from time to time. This is completely natural. Anxiety can protect you when you feel threatened because it makes you protect yourself. Worries may also be a good thing because they make you think before you act.

It’s natural to feel worried or anxious from time to time. A small child who is separated from their parents when starting nursery may experience feelings of anxiety. A slightly older child may be fearful of the dark or of strangers. A teenager may find it difficult to deal with social changes in relation to friends, a boyfriend or girlfriend and parties.

Experiencing brief periods of feeling anxious is common and does not mean you suffer from anxiety.

Why do some people develop anxiety?

There is no single explanation why some people develop anxiety. Several factors play a role.

In some cases, a specific event triggers the anxiety. For example, if your parents get divorced or if you are bullied at school.

In other cases, anxiety appears out of the blue. Something that leads to anxiety in one person may simply be a temporary stress factor for someone else. 

I didn’t dare go to school. I was so afraid of saying something stupid, blushing, stuttering or giving wrong answers in classes, so that both the teacher and my classmates would laugh at me. In the end, I didn’t dare go outside at all, I was afraid of behaving incorrectly in any and all respects.

Symptoms

How to obtain a referral

Who can refer you?

Contact your own doctor if you are feeling mentally unwell. Your doctor will then assess whether you need a referral to the psychiatric services (Psykiatrien) in Central Denmark Region.

The out-of-hours medical helpline (Lægevagten), private psychiatrists or municipal services (for example the Pedagogical Psychological Counselling service (Pædagogisk Psykologisk Rådgivning (PPR)) can also issue referrals to the psychiatric services.

If you are referred

If you are referred to the psychiatric services, your referral will be assessed by the central psychiatric triage service Psykiatriens Centrale Visitation. Here, they check whether you are in the target group for an assessment or treatment by the psychiatric services in Central Denmark Region. If you are in the target group, you will be called in for an interview. An appointment will be sent to you via Digital Post.

If you are not in the target group, both you and the person who referred you (e.g. your doctor) will be notified. We recommend that you then contact your doctor to find out which other services and treatment options may be relevant.

Examination for anxiety

Samtale mellem ung pige og behandler i bua

Types of anxiety

Concomitant disorders

Treatment

My anxiety decreased a lot when I started seeing a psychologist. It was so liberating when I discovered that my ugly thoughts of disaster weren’t rooted in reality. I learnt to say to myself: Alma, you can imagine a great many awful things that may happen, but remember, they are only thoughts, and thoughts are fortunately not reality. After all, you could also start thinking positive thoughts about what might happen instead.

Advice for people who suffer from anxiety

Advice for relatives

Text on this page updated August 2025.

Most recently revised by: Anette Damsgaard Nielsen, Psychologist at Centre for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Aarhus University Hospital – Psychiatry.