Separation Anxiety Disorder

A disorder in which a child becomes excessively anxious when separated from parents.

Children are especially prone to separation anxiety during times of stress.

Separation anxiety differs from normal clinginess. Children with the disorder can’t think about anything but the present fear of separation. They may have nightmares or regular physical complaints. They may be reluctant to go to school or other places.

Treatment includes talk therapy and possibly anti-anxiety medication.

Cluster Number:
Wiki Number: PW202
Diagnosis: Separation Personality Disorder
US Patients: 5%-25% of children; 2% of adults
World Patients:
Sex Ratio: B;G+
Age Onset: Normal 8-14 months; usually finished by age 3.
Brain Area: amygdala, ventrolateral and dorsomedial areas of the prefrontal cortex
Symptoms: reluctance, worry about being away from home, or away from loved one, nightmares if away from home
Progression: anxiety on separating from home or a specific loved one or significant others
Causes: American Psychiatric Association considers this a normal part of development except for the significantly older.
Medications: tricyclic antidepressants. SSRI’s
Therapies: counseling for the child and family, behavioral therapies, contingency management with “praise”

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL WIKIPEDIA ARTICLE.

Youtube Video:

Separation Anxiety in Children: Separation Anxiety Review

Amazon or Library Book:

What to do when you Don’t Want To Be Apart

Click the book to link or order from Amazon.

4 CURRENT ARTICLES
FROM PUBMED

The world-wide medical research
reports chosen for each diagnosis

Clicking each title opens the
PubMed article’s summary-abstract.

Causally Probing the Role of the Hippocampus in Fear Discrimination: A Precision Functional Mapping-Guided, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Study in Participants With Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms
by Ryan D Webler on May 1, 2024
CONCLUSIONS: Overgeneralization is an associative process that reflects deficient discrimination of the fear cue from similar cues. In contrast, sensitization reflects nonassociative responding unrelated to fear cue similarity. Our results suggest that HNT-TMS may selectively sharpen fear discrimination when associative response patterns, which putatively implicate the hippocampus, are more strongly engaged.
The influence of gender-specific factors influencing severe anxiety in psychotic major depression: role of thyroid hormones and depression severity
by Guoshuai Luo on May 1, 2024
CONCLUSION: This study highlights the heightened prevalence of severe anxiety in PMD patients, with TSH levels and depression severity emerging as gender-specific risk factors for anxiety in females. These findings suggest the importance of thyroid hormone assessment and tailored interventions for managing anxiety in female PMD patients.
Chemical profiling, anticonvulsant and anxiolytic effects of the smoke constituents isolated from Leonotis leonurus (L.) R.Br
by Baudry N Nsuala on April 30, 2024
CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the smoke constituents of L. leonurus may exert anticonvulsant and anxiolytic effects which align with the traditional indications and the mode of administration.
Anxiety among youth with food allergy
by Sally Ho on April 29, 2024
CONCLUSIONS: Youth with FA might benefit from psychosocial interventions that address FA risk perception management and promote appropriate FA vigilance to cope with anxiety symptoms.