Separation anxiety disorder (SAD) is a psychological condition in which an individual experiences excessive anxiety regarding separation from home or from people to whom the individual has a strong emotional attachment (e.g. a parent, grandparents, and/or siblings). SAD is characterized by significant and recurrent amounts of worry upon (or in anticipation of) separation from a child or adolescent's home or from those to whom the child or adolescent is attached. The duration of this problem must last for at least four weeks and must present itself before the child is 18 years of age.
Different epidemiological studies indicate a prevalence of 4 to 5% in children and adolescents. In contrast to other anxiety disorders, 50 to 75% of children with SAD come from homes of low socioeconomic status. The severity of the symptoms ranges from anticipatory uneasiness to full-blown anxiety about separation.
Separation anxiety may cause significant impairment in important areas of functioning, (e.g., academic and social). One of the fist symptoms of SAD results in school refusal. School refusal is reported in about 75% of children with SAD, and SAD is reported to occur in up to 80% of children with school refusal. Longitudinal studies have suggested that childhood SAD may be a risk factor for other anxiety disorders.
Read more about Separation Anxiety Disorder: Classification, Signs and Symptoms, Diagnosis, Prognosis, Epidemiology, In Other Animals
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