Separation anxiety disorder in children

Introduction to children with dissociative anxiety disorder Separate anxiety disorder is one of the most common mood disorders in childhood, with an incidence of 3.5% before puberty (Rosenhan & Seligman, 1995). The incidence of girls is nearly twice that of boys. In severe cases, children may not be able to attend school or participate in outdoor activities because of separation of anxiety disorders. Similarly, because children often have physical symptoms, they usually undergo multiple physical examinations (APA, 2000). The child always stays with the mother and does not contact the outside world, and the mother is too cherished and overprotected by the child, so that the child develops a weakness that is timid, shy, dependent, and unable to adapt to the external environment. Once suddenly separated from the mother, separation anxiety is prone to occur. According to the characteristics of the disease and the characteristics of the symptoms, psychological treatment can be taken, including behavioral therapy, game therapy and suggestive therapy. Patience education guides, helps children to restrain emotional obstacles, establish brave and strong character, encourage them to actively participate in group activities, improve mood, enhance communication, and make them better adapt to the environment. At the same time, it is necessary to help parents correctly educate their children and improve the family environment to reduce the psychological adverse effects on children. basic knowledge The proportion of sickness: 0.003% - 0.009% Susceptible people: multiple children Mode of infection: non-infectious Complications: autism

Etiology of isolated anxiety disorder in children

Genetic factors (15%):

Children with anxiety parents have a significantly higher incidence of anxiety disorders than their normal parents. The rate of separation anxiety of the same-child twins with monozygotic twin anxiety can be as high as 50%. Explain that the disease is related to heredity.

Parent-child attachment (30%):

The child always stays with the mother and does not contact the outside world, and the mother is too cherished and overprotected by the child, so that the child develops a weakness that is timid, shy, dependent, and unable to adapt to the external environment. Once suddenly separated from the mother, separation anxiety is prone to occur.

Impact of life events (20%):

Common life events are sudden separation from parents, frustration in kindergarten, unfortunate accidents, serious illness or death of relatives.

Childhood separation anxiety disorder prevention

Pay attention to children's mental health, provide psychological health education consultation for mothers, and eliminate bad factors in family environment or family education.

Complications of isolated anxiety disorder in children Complications autism

There are symptoms of autonomic nervous system dysfunction, such as palpitation, chest tightness, frequent urination, urgency and so on. It is prone to loss of appetite, gastrointestinal dysfunction, or malnutrition, difficulty falling asleep at night, restless sleep, lack of concentration, deviation in academic performance, and sometimes evolve into school phobia.

Children with dissociative anxiety disorder symptoms common symptoms irritability, temper, bad mood, apathy, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

1. More than before the age of 6 years, it is manifested that the attachment object is excessively worried that the attachment object may be hurt before it is separated, or it may never return.

2. Excessively worry that when the attachment object is not around, you will lose yourself, be kidnapped, etc., and you may never see your loved one again.

3. Every time there is separation, it will appear: physical symptoms such as headache, nausea, vomiting, etc., can also be expressed as irritability, crying, temper tantrum, pain, apathy or social withdrawal.

Examination of children with dissociative anxiety disorder

The examination generally has no abnormal signs, mainly for neurological examination, and excludes mental symptoms caused by changes in the nervous system.

Diagnosis and differentiation of children with dissociative anxiety disorder

Diagnostic criteria

DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for dissociative anxiety disorder (APA, 2000)

A. When leaving home or leaving those individuals attached to the subject, the individual exhibits excessive anxiety that does not correspond to the age of development, showing at least the following three or more:

(1) Excessive anxiety occurs repeatedly when leaving or expecting to leave home or an important attachment object;

(2) persistent and excessive fear of losing important attachments, or worrying that important attachments will be harmed;

(3) persistent and excessive fear of unfortunate incidents and, as a result, separation from important attachments (eg, lost or abducted);

(4) out of fear of separation, continued reluctance or refusal to go to school or elsewhere;

(5) Persistence and excessive fear, reluctance to be in the following situations: alone, or not at home with important attachments, or in other scenes without the companionship of important attachments;

(6) Continued unwillingness or refusal to sleep without an important attachment object, or not sleeping at home;

(7) Repeat the theme of a nightmare of separation;

(8) Repeated physical symptoms (such as headache, stomach pain, nausea, or vomiting) when separated from or attached to an important attachment.

B. This trouble persists for at least 4 weeks.

C. This trouble occurs before the age of 18.

D. This distress causes significant clinical pain, or damage to society, school (vocational) or other important functional areas.

E. This distress does not occur exclusively in the course of a general developmental disorder, schizophrenia or other psychotic disorder. For adolescents and adults, the above problems are not better explained by the panic disorder associated with the fear of the square.

Early onset: The onset time is before the age of 6.

Differential diagnosis

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