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Separation Anxiety (cont.)

When to Seek Medical Care

Seek medical evaluation when social functioning becomes impaired, that is when a child or adolescent is refusing to go to school, is not socializing, is avoiding participation in sports or recreation, or is unwilling to be separated from the primary caregiver.



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Anxiety Disorder: Separation Anxiety and School Refusal »

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), separation anxiety is a fairly common anxiety disorder that consists of excessive anxiety beyond that expected for the child's developmental level related to separation or impending separation from the attachment figure (eg, primary caretaker, close family member) occurring in children younger than 18 years and lasting for at least 4 weeks.

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