U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Format

Send to:

Choose Destination

Separation anxiety disorder

MedGen UID:
1999
Concept ID:
C0003477
Mental or Behavioral Dysfunction
Synonyms: Anxiety Disorder, Separation; Anxiety, Separation; Separation Anxiety; Separation Anxiety Disorder
SNOMED CT: Separation anxiety (126943008); Separation anxiety disorder (11806006)
 
Monarch Initiative: MONDO:0001098

Definition

An anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent excessive distress due to fear of separation from the home or from major attachment figures; the distress is developmentally inappropriate and causes impairment in social, academic, or other areas of functioning. [from NCI]

Term Hierarchy

CClinical test,  RResearch test,  OOMIM,  GGeneReviews,  VClinVar  
  • CROGVSeparation anxiety disorder

Professional guidelines

PubMed

McKelvey R
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2020 Mar;59(3):342-343. Epub 2019 May 22 doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2019.04.025. PMID: 31128270
Baldwin DS, Anderson IM, Nutt DJ, Allgulander C, Bandelow B, den Boer JA, Christmas DM, Davies S, Fineberg N, Lidbetter N, Malizia A, McCrone P, Nabarro D, O'Neill C, Scott J, van der Wee N, Wittchen HU
J Psychopharmacol 2014 May;28(5):403-39. Epub 2014 Apr 8 doi: 10.1177/0269881114525674. PMID: 24713617
Creswell C, Waite P, Cooper PJ
Arch Dis Child 2014 Jul;99(7):674-8. Epub 2014 Mar 17 doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2013-303768. PMID: 24636957Free PMC Article

Recent clinical studies

Etiology

Kowalchuk A, Gonzalez SJ, Zoorob RJ
Am Fam Physician 2022 Dec;106(6):657-664. PMID: 36521463
Kodal A, Fjermestad K, Bjelland I, Gjestad R, Öst LG, Bjaastad JF, Haugland BSM, Havik OE, Heiervang E, Wergeland GJ
J Anxiety Disord 2018 Jan;53:58-67. Epub 2017 Nov 26 doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2017.11.003. PMID: 29195188
Cummings CM, Caporino NE, Kendall PC
Psychol Bull 2014 May;140(3):816-45. Epub 2013 Nov 11 doi: 10.1037/a0034733. PMID: 24219155Free PMC Article
Kessler RC, Petukhova M, Sampson NA, Zaslavsky AM, Wittchen H -U
Int J Methods Psychiatr Res 2012 Sep;21(3):169-84. Epub 2012 Aug 1 doi: 10.1002/mpr.1359. PMID: 22865617Free PMC Article
Beesdo K, Knappe S, Pine DS
Psychiatr Clin North Am 2009 Sep;32(3):483-524. doi: 10.1016/j.psc.2009.06.002. PMID: 19716988Free PMC Article

Diagnosis

Kowalchuk A, Gonzalez SJ, Zoorob RJ
Am Fam Physician 2022 Dec;106(6):657-664. PMID: 36521463
Park SC, Kim YK
Adv Exp Med Biol 2020;1191:187-196. doi: 10.1007/978-981-32-9705-0_12. PMID: 32002930
Craske MG, Stein MB
Lancet 2016 Dec 17;388(10063):3048-3059. Epub 2016 Jun 24 doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)30381-6. PMID: 27349358
Baldwin DS, Anderson IM, Nutt DJ, Allgulander C, Bandelow B, den Boer JA, Christmas DM, Davies S, Fineberg N, Lidbetter N, Malizia A, McCrone P, Nabarro D, O'Neill C, Scott J, van der Wee N, Wittchen HU
J Psychopharmacol 2014 May;28(5):403-39. Epub 2014 Apr 8 doi: 10.1177/0269881114525674. PMID: 24713617
Beesdo K, Knappe S, Pine DS
Psychiatr Clin North Am 2009 Sep;32(3):483-524. doi: 10.1016/j.psc.2009.06.002. PMID: 19716988Free PMC Article

Therapy

Nicotra CM, Strawn JR
Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am 2023 Jul;32(3):573-587. Epub 2023 Mar 28 doi: 10.1016/j.chc.2023.02.006. PMID: 37201968
Bandelow B
Adv Exp Med Biol 2020;1191:347-365. doi: 10.1007/978-981-32-9705-0_19. PMID: 32002937
Craske MG, Stein MB
Lancet 2016 Dec 17;388(10063):3048-3059. Epub 2016 Jun 24 doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)30381-6. PMID: 27349358
Baldwin DS, Anderson IM, Nutt DJ, Allgulander C, Bandelow B, den Boer JA, Christmas DM, Davies S, Fineberg N, Lidbetter N, Malizia A, McCrone P, Nabarro D, O'Neill C, Scott J, van der Wee N, Wittchen HU
J Psychopharmacol 2014 May;28(5):403-39. Epub 2014 Apr 8 doi: 10.1177/0269881114525674. PMID: 24713617
Cummings CM, Caporino NE, Kendall PC
Psychol Bull 2014 May;140(3):816-45. Epub 2013 Nov 11 doi: 10.1037/a0034733. PMID: 24219155Free PMC Article

Prognosis

Kowalchuk A, Gonzalez SJ, Zoorob RJ
Am Fam Physician 2022 Dec;106(6):657-664. PMID: 36521463
Kodal A, Fjermestad K, Bjelland I, Gjestad R, Öst LG, Bjaastad JF, Haugland BSM, Havik OE, Heiervang E, Wergeland GJ
J Anxiety Disord 2018 Jan;53:58-67. Epub 2017 Nov 26 doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2017.11.003. PMID: 29195188
Cummings CM, Caporino NE, Kendall PC
Psychol Bull 2014 May;140(3):816-45. Epub 2013 Nov 11 doi: 10.1037/a0034733. PMID: 24219155Free PMC Article
Beesdo K, Knappe S, Pine DS
Psychiatr Clin North Am 2009 Sep;32(3):483-524. doi: 10.1016/j.psc.2009.06.002. PMID: 19716988Free PMC Article
Costello EJ, Mustillo S, Erkanli A, Keeler G, Angold A
Arch Gen Psychiatry 2003 Aug;60(8):837-44. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.60.8.837. PMID: 12912767

Clinical prediction guides

Unlubilgin E, Tetik S, Aksoy I, Yuksel D, Tekin OM
J Sex Med 2021 Oct;18(10):1752-1758. Epub 2021 Aug 18 doi: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2021.07.005. PMID: 34417127
Schiele MA, Bandelow B, Baldwin DS, Pini S, Domschke K
Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2020 Apr;33:45-57. Epub 2020 Feb 8 doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2020.01.009. PMID: 32046934
Cummings CM, Caporino NE, Kendall PC
Psychol Bull 2014 May;140(3):816-45. Epub 2013 Nov 11 doi: 10.1037/a0034733. PMID: 24219155Free PMC Article
Beesdo K, Knappe S, Pine DS
Psychiatr Clin North Am 2009 Sep;32(3):483-524. doi: 10.1016/j.psc.2009.06.002. PMID: 19716988Free PMC Article
Hayward C, Wilson KA, Lagle K, Killen JD, Taylor CB
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2004 May;43(5):613-20. doi: 10.1097/00004583-200405000-00015. PMID: 15100568

Recent systematic reviews

Ali-Naqvi O, Alburak TA, Selvan K, Abdelmeguid H, Malvankar-Mehta MS
Psychiatr Q 2023 Mar;94(1):61-77. Epub 2023 Jan 24 doi: 10.1007/s11126-022-10013-8. PMID: 36690848
Michael JA, Wang M, Kaur M, Fitzgerald PB, Fitzgibbon BM, Hoy KE
J Affect Disord 2021 Aug 1;291:140-153. Epub 2021 May 24 doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.04.049. PMID: 34038831
Scott AJ, Sharpe L, Loomes M, Gandy M
J Pediatr Psychol 2020 Mar 1;45(2):133-144. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsz099. PMID: 31904859
Lawrence PJ, Murayama K, Creswell C
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2019 Jan;58(1):46-60. Epub 2018 Nov 1 doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2018.07.898. PMID: 30577938
Tanios CY, Abou-Saleh MT, Karam AN, Salamoun MM, Mneimneh ZN, Karam EG
J Anxiety Disord 2009 May;23(4):409-19. Epub 2008 Oct 31 doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2008.10.009. PMID: 19091509

Supplemental Content

Table of contents

    Clinical resources

    Practice guidelines

    • PubMed
      See practice and clinical guidelines in PubMed. The search results may include broader topics and may not capture all published guidelines. See the FAQ for details.
    • Bookshelf
      See practice and clinical guidelines in NCBI Bookshelf. The search results may include broader topics and may not capture all published guidelines. See the FAQ for details.

    Consumer resources

    Recent activity

    Your browsing activity is empty.

    Activity recording is turned off.

    Turn recording back on

    See more...