Separation anxiety in children

Introduction Children's parting anxiety occurs before the age of six, which means that the child is overly anxious when they are separated from the person they are attached to. Excessive anxiety is that the main attachments may be completely hurt, or they are afraid that they will never go back; worry about the main attachment Separation. Unwilling or refusing to go to kindergartens or schools because of fear of separation (not because of kindergarten or school), no major attachments, unwillingness or refusal to go to bed, persistent and unreasonable fear of being alone, fear of staying with no companion At home, there are repeated nightmares related to parting. When it is expected to be separated from the attachment, there will be excessive and recurrent distress, which can be expressed as crying, tantrum, pain, apathy or withdrawal; some children are separated. After repeated physical symptoms: nausea, vomiting, headache, stomach pain, discomfort and so on.

Cause

Predisposing factors for separation anxiety include mandatory separation, such as the death of a parent or mother, illness or divorce. These factors are prone to anxiety in children with genetic qualities.

Genetic factor

Children born to parents with anxiety disorders have a significantly higher incidence of anxiety disorders than those born to normal parents. Moreover, the same incidence rate of identical twin anxiety disorder can be as high as 50%, which indicates that there is a close relationship between isolated anxiety disorder and heredity.

2. Parent-child over-association

Children with segregated anxiety usually stay with their mothers or fixed raisers and are not in contact with the outside world, while mothers tend to be too cherished and overprotected, and do everything they need to do, so that children can become daring. Small, shy, dependent, unable to adapt to the weakness of the external environment and excessive attachment to the mother. Once suddenly separated from the mother, separation anxiety is prone to occur.

3. Impact of life events

Before the occurrence of segregation anxiety, there are often life events as incentives. Common life events are sudden separation from parents, frustration in kindergartens, and unfortunate accidents such as serious illness or death of relatives.

an examination

Related inspection

Neurological examination EEG examination

Clinical manifestations:

For isolated anxiety disorders, pediatricians should look at the disease from a developmental perspective. Normal separation anxiety occurs as early as 6-8 months in infants. After 3 years of age, when the child understands that the separation from the attachment is temporary, this normal anxiety disappears. Therefore, children diagnosed with this disease should be cautious before the age of 5, and children diagnosed 30 months ago will not be diagnosed.

Separation anxiety disorder is deeply disturbed when children are separated from their loved ones, and produces obvious anxiety. Most children often have no basis to worry that their loved ones will leave their own dangerous or accidental accidents, so they are unwilling to leave their relatives, not to go to kindergarten or refuse. Going to school, even if you barely enter the school, you are crying or struggling. Some children may have symptoms of autonomic nervous system dysfunction, vomiting, abdominal pain, headache, etc., and the course lasts for several months to several years.

Differential diagnosis

Identification:

1. Generalized anxiety disorder

The range of anxiety in children is mainly due to their ability, appearance and what they are doing, while the separation anxiety disorder is mainly caused by anxiety caused by separation.

OCD

Children with this condition can also have anxiety when they are away from home, but this is often a special form of forced or ritual-like symptoms. Such children are therefore reluctant to leave the family. In addition, children with obsessive-compulsive disorder have anxiety about their parents' safety, but this idea is irrational, even if parents are not relieved in front of them, and children will be afraid of their aggressive impulses against their parents.

3. School phobia

When children have accidental trauma in school, they are afraid of school environment and refuse to go to school. This is different from the separation of anxiety from young children and the refusal to go to school. The latter is due to fear of separation.

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