Separation Anxiety Disorder

A small degree of separation anxiety is normal in very young children, but after reaching the age of three most children are able to separate from their parents with little unease. When children over the age of three are showing developmentally inappropriate and excessive anxiety about separation from home or their loved ones for a period of one month or longer, a diagnosis of separation anxiety disorder may be present and clinical attention is warranted. Children with separation anxiety disorder have extreme difficulty being away from home or their parents and they do everything they can to avoid these separation situations.

  Common symptoms of separation anxiety disorder include:

• Difficulty sleeping alone     
• Reluctance to go to school or friends’ homes      
• Fear that something bad will happen to them—such as getting kidnapped or lost—if they are not with their parents      
• Fear that something bad will happen to their parents (e.g., they might leave and never come back, they might get sick or die) if they are not with their parents
• Clinging to parents      
• Refusing to stay with a sitter or relative      
• Nightmares about being away from their loved ones      
• Calling or texting parents throughout the day to make sure they are ok      
• Tantrums when separation from loved ones occurs or is anticipated      
• Physical complaints upon separation, such as an upset stomach  

Roughly 4% of children suffer with separation anxiety disorder, but regrettably only a small proportion of affected youth ever receive the professional help they need. Although mild forms separation anxiety may go away with time, when a child meets criteria for separation anxiety disorder, symptoms typically persist and in the absence of treatment the child is at increased risk for the development of other mood and anxiety problems. 

If these symptoms seem relevant to you or your child, we can help. Feel free to contact us by calling our main desk at (212) 246-5740.

The Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders (CUCARD) provides evidence-based treatments for all of the anxiety disorders that can afflict children, including:

• Separation Anxiety Disorder
• Social Anxiety Disorder      
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder      
• Specific Phobia      
• Panic Disorder with and without Agoraphobia      
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder      
• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
• Disruptive Behaviour Disorders.      
• We also specialize in the treatment of Selective Mutism, Trichotillomania and Mood Disorders.