Does your child experience significant difficulty separating from you? Learn about the clinical features and evidence-based coping strategies for separation anxiety.
Separation anxiety disorder involves excessive and developmentally inappropriate anxiety regarding separation from attachment figures. This anxiety significantly exceeds what would be expected for the child's developmental stage.
Clinical features include school refusal, inability to sleep independently, persistent worry that harm will befall the parent, and somatic complaints such as abdominal pain and headaches. These symptoms must persist for at least four weeks and cause clinically significant distress or functional impairment.
Graduated exposure, cognitive behavioral therapy, and structured parental guidance constitute the fundamental treatment components. Families are counseled on maintaining a consistent and supportive approach that acknowledges the child's distress while encouraging adaptive coping.
Doç. Dr. Mehtap Eroğlu
Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist. Over 15 years of clinical experience.
