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.

Assessing Psychosocial Burden in Psoriasis Patients Using the PRISM-RII Tool: A Comprehensive Evaluation
by Elif Afacan Yıldırım on March 21, 2025
CONCLUSIONS: The PRISM-RII tool effectively captures the psychosocial burden of psoriasis including internalized stigmatization, highlighting the need to address both physical and psychological aspects in clinical practice. Incorporating PRISM-RII into routine assessments can enhance patient-centered care by identifying and addressing the psychosocial dimensions of psoriasis.
Analysis of anxiety and depression status and related factors among mothers of children in neonatal intensive care unit
by Fen Xu on March 20, 2025
CONCLUSION: Mothers of children admitted to the NICU demonstrated high anxiety and depression incidences. The nursing staff in the neonatal department established intervention measures for each related factor, strengthened communication and communication with the mother of the child, and did a good job in psychological counseling.
The impact of parental absence on the mental health of middle school students in rural areas of Western China
by Xiaohong Ren on March 19, 2025
CONCLUSION: Our study underscores significant mental health risks associated with diverse patterns of parental absence among adolescents in the Sichuan region. By fostering stronger parent-child bonds and providing targeted emotional support, it may be possible to mitigate the adverse psychological effects of parental absence and help adolescents better navigate these mental health challenges.
Real-world data on behavioral practices for dogs in primary care veterinary hospitals in the United States (2010-2020)
by Hsin-Yi Weng on March 19, 2025
CONCLUSIONS: Frequencies of behavior problem labels and prescriptions in primary care settings were both low, with notable variations among psychoactive drugs. Furthermore, about 70% of cases prescribed psychoactive medications lacked target behavior problem labels.