11 1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION distorted judgements of risk (American Psychiatric Association, 2013; Gelder et al., 2005; National Library of Medicine, 2016; World Health Organization, 2010). Core symptoms of depression, on the other hand, include a depressed mood (e.g., feeling empty or hopeless, persistent unhappiness) and loss of interest or pleasure in most activities (American Psychiatric Association, 2013; Thapar et al., 2012; World Health Organization, 2010). Additional symptoms may include sleep disturbances, change in eating patterns and subsequent change in weight, loss of energy, feeling worthless or guilty, diminished ability to concentrate or make decisions, thinking or moving slower or showing restless behaviour, and suicidal ideation (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). People with depression experience significant distress and impairment in social or occupational functioning (American Psychiatric Association, 2013; Jaycox et al., 2009; Verboom et al., 2014). Unlike depression, anxiety disorders usually have their onset in childhood. They are one of the earliest form of mental health problems to emerge in childhood and the most prevalent disorders in children (Bandelow & Michaelis, 2015; Palitz & Kendall, 2020). Already at a young age, approximately 20% of children are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder (Beesdo et al., 2009; Chavira et al., 2004; Kroes et al., 2001). Moreover, up to 49% of children are impaired by subclinical levels of anxiety symptoms (Muris et al., 2000a). During adolescence, anxiety symptoms continue to rise (Grant, 2013; Roza et al., 2003), with 25% of adolescents being diagnosed with an anxiety disorder in the past 12 months (Kessler et al., 2012) and up to 32% experiencing subclinical anxiety symptoms (Balázs et al., 2013). Depression onset sharply peaks during adolescence (Kessler et al., 2012; Merikangas et al., 2010; Roza et al., 2003). Prevalence rates of 10% of adolescents being depressed have been reported for large international and US samples (Balázs et al., 2013; Kessler et al., 2012). Furthermore, almost a third of young adolescents report subclinical depressive symptoms (Balázs et al., 2013). Moreover, remarkable differences between boys and girls emerge during adolescence and throughout (young) adulthood. Females are approximately twice as likely as males to experience subclinical levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms, and the same holds for clinical diagnoses of anxiety and depression (Balázs et al., 2013; Hankin et al., 2007; Kessler et al., 2005; Twenge & Nolen-Hoeksema, 2002). Even into young adulthood, anxiety and depression remain the most prevalent mental health problems. Up to 11.7% and 15.6% of young adults, respectively, report to have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder or major depressive episode in the past year (De Graaf et al., 2012; Kessler & Walters, 1998). By the time they reach early adulthood, a quarter of young adults have
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