Document Type
Honors Thesis
Major
Elementary Education
Advisor(s)
Caitlin Metheny
Committee Members
Hollie Adams, Susan Bennett-Armistead, Julie DellaMattera
Graduation Year
May 2024
Publication Date
2025
Abstract
This project aims to understand the representation of childhood anxiety in books published after 2015 and written for children aged 4-8 years. National health organizations were used to define anxiety disorder, followed by a brief analysis of current professional literature on representation of mental health in children’s literature.
A critical content analysis was performed on 58 published children’s books marketed for the typical parent/educator as texts about anxiety, using a 19-question critical analysis chart. Broad generalizations of the representation of anxiety in children’s literature were made through a qualitative analysis. The analysis concluded with six preliminary findings, which formed three overarching themes found in the literature: Anxiety Narrative Structure, Anxiety Symptom Management, and Descriptions of Anxiety.
The result of this research was used to produce a final creative product - a draft of a children’s book featuring a child with generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder. The draft includes the written text for the book, as well as description for the illustrations.
Recommended Citation
Mellor, Rebekah, "Analyzing and Writing Childhood Anxiety in Children’s Literature" (2025). Honors College. 978.
https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors/978