Halloween scares may cause anxiety in young children, specialists say

By Staff Writer

Some experts believe that young children who become too frightened around Halloween may develop long-term anxiety problems.

According to the Asheville Citizen-Times, a North Carolina child therapist said that not all kids experience lasting effects from scary experiences, but a traumatic moment can cause anxiety in a child with a vivid imagination.

Frightening images created by movies, costumes or decorations may lead to separation anxiety or sleeping difficulties in children. Kids under age 10 are more susceptible to these effects.

Some kids see a scary movie and cannot get those images out of their heads, she said.

"Young children still have trouble differentiating real life from make believe, and when someone is in a mask, it's real to them," said a psychology professor specializing in child development.

ChildDevelopmentInfo.com reports that high levels of anxiety in a child aged six to eight may be a warning sign that he or she may develop an anxiety disorder later in life. Anxiety disorders are among the most common emotional problems that occur during childhood, affecting as many as one in 10 young people, according to the news provider.