6 Shows and Movies to Help Kids Deal with Anxiety: 'It's Important to Validate Different Struggles' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

As someone who watched several children in my life battle anxiety from surprisingly early ages, I wrote my debut middle grade novelKaya of the Oceanto honor all the brave kids who struggle with anxiety. More than honor them — I wanted to reach them through a character who goes through similar struggles.

While juvenile anxiety in all its forms, from mild worry to debilitating panic attacks, has historically not always been something that was openly discussed or publicly accepted in everyday life,  its presence in art has followed a different trajectory. Whether it’s because of the extra freedom to speak in metaphors, or because normalization in society often follows portrayals in film and books, pop culture’s recognition of anxiety in the lives of tweens and teens has grown increasingly prominent over time.

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‘Inside Out 2’

A still from Inside Out 2 featuring Anxiety (front).Pixar

Pixar

People felt seen and validated, grateful for an accurate depiction of what it feels like to struggle internally against your own worried, overthinking self. The scene in which Riley suffers a panic attack, and the switch in perspective between her external and internal terror, was particularly powerful in showing what it feels like to be a kid experiencing anxiety for the first time.

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‘Turning Red’

A still from ‘Turning Red’.disney/pixar

This memorable metaphor conveyed the difficulty in managing inherited anxiety, the pitfalls of parents trying to control a preteen’s feelings and the importance of strong friendship in counteracting bouts of panic.

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‘Frozen’

Elsa from ‘Frozen’.Walt Disney Pictures/Courtesy Everett

Walt Disney Pictures/Courtesy Everett

The pop culture juggernautFrozendid more than just inspire a legion of young girls to become ice queens — it also created a potent message about weathering the storms within. Similar to Mei’s, Elsa’s uncontrolled anxiety manifests as a danger. Her response of trying to isolate and seal herself off only worsens the situation.

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‘Finding Nemo’

Years beforeFrozen,the concept of uncontrollable worry showed up in the most unlikely of places: in the life of a single-father clownfish. Marlin is neither young nor even human, but he does struggle with intense bouts of distress inFinding Nemo. While its youthful audiences likely couldn’t relate to a parent’s consuming concern over the safety of their child, the underlying idea — that excessive fear and control only worsens anxiety — is a universal idea that is applicable to any age.

05of 07’Winnie the Pooh’The crew from ‘Winnie the Pooh’.Walt Disney/Courtesy Everett CollectionAs early as 1926,Winnie the Poohwas filled with a colorful cast of characters, each with traits that embody a different emotional outlook: pessimistic Eeyore; impulsive Tigger; optimistic Pooh and anxious Piglet. This tight-knit group of animal friends go on fun adventures and yet still experience deep emotions throughout. They were an important way to show children, at the most basic level, that it’s okay to feel any number of ways.

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‘Winnie the Pooh’

The crew from ‘Winnie the Pooh’.Walt Disney/Courtesy Everett Collection

Walt Disney/Courtesy Everett Collection

As early as 1926,Winnie the Poohwas filled with a colorful cast of characters, each with traits that embody a different emotional outlook: pessimistic Eeyore; impulsive Tigger; optimistic Pooh and anxious Piglet. This tight-knit group of animal friends go on fun adventures and yet still experience deep emotions throughout. They were an important way to show children, at the most basic level, that it’s okay to feel any number of ways.

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‘Ted Lasso’

Though anxiety has historically been more commonly incorporated in movies and shows directed at adults (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest; Girl, Interrupted; Adaptation; Black Swan; This is Us), it has recently appeared in increasingly nuanced ways, such as inTed Lasso. Known more for its comedic fish-out-of-water take on an American football coach suddenly coaching English football, it also successfully couches a subtle but powerful portrayal of anxiety amid the quips and jokes.

Alongside Ted’s accidentally-on-purpose charming and goofy persona, he also struggles against severe panic attacks. Yet that dichotomy — between his breezy, happy-go-lucky self and the tsunamis of panic that threaten to overwhelm and sabotage his life — is exactly what many people experience when contending with anxiety: living with an ever-present threat that lurks below the surface.

07of 07’Eighth Grade’A still from ‘Eighth Grade’.Kobal/ShutterstockThere’s also been groundbreaking portrayals of similar experiences involving teens and young adults, fromThe Perks of Being a WallflowertoEuphoria. A recent rendering that was especially realistic and raw was inEighth Grade, in which the main character navigates awkward middle school experiences while internally striving to manage her apprehension and unease.

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‘Eighth Grade’

A still from ‘Eighth Grade’.Kobal/Shutterstock

Kobal/Shutterstock

There’s also been groundbreaking portrayals of similar experiences involving teens and young adults, fromThe Perks of Being a WallflowertoEuphoria. A recent rendering that was especially realistic and raw was inEighth Grade, in which the main character navigates awkward middle school experiences while internally striving to manage her apprehension and unease.

The journey of exploring young anxiety in pop culture has grown increasingly meaningful over time. I look forward to the continuation of this trend and its ability to reach those who need it the most.

source: people.com