Anxiety
Disorders in Children and Adolescents
Separation
Anxiety Disorder
Many children experience separation anxiety between
18 months and three years of age, when it is normal
for a child to feel some anxiety when a parent leaves
the room or goes out of sight. Usually he/she can be
distracted from these feelings. Crying when first being
left at daycare or pre-school is also common, and the
crying subsides when the child becomes engaged in his/her
surroundings.
Usually
four year olds are able to leave their parents. If not,
the problem could be separation anxiety disorder, which
affects approximately 4% of children. With separation
anxiety disorder, a child experiences extreme anxiety
when away from home or separated from parents or caregivers.
In this case, the desire to be in contact with missed
persons is excessive, extreme homesickness and feelings
of misery at not being with loved ones are common. While
separated, it is not uncommon for these children to
have fears regarding the health and safety of their
parents.
Children
suffering from separation anxiety disorder may:
- Try
to avoid going places by themselves;
- Refuse
to go to school or camp;
- Be
reluctant or refuse to participate in sleepovers;
-
Follow a parent around;
- Demand
that someone stay with them at bedtime, or "appear"
in their parent's bedroom during the night;
- Awake
from nightmares about being separated from loved
ones.
Onset
of separation anxiety disorder can occur any time before
age 18, but it is most common in children between the
ages of seven and nine.
