Abstract
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition, text revision (DSM-IV-TR; American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2000), the central feature of separation anxiety disorder (SAD) is unrealistic and excessive anxiety upon separation or anticipation of separation from major attachment figures. SAD is the only anxiety disorder based on specific child criteria as well as having a childhood onset. DSM-IV-TR requires evidence of at least three (of eight) separation-related symptoms that cause (1) significant interference in social and academic functioning and (2) continuous disturbance for at least 1 month. These impairment criteria are important since separation anxiety is typical and can be developmentally appropriate in young children (Hanna, Fischer, & Fluent, 2006).
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Eisen, A.R., Sussman, J.M., Schmidt, T., Mason, L., Hausler, L.A., Hashim, R. (2011). Separation Anxiety Disorder. In: McKay, D., Storch, E. (eds) Handbook of Child and Adolescent Anxiety Disorders. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7784-7_17
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