Separation anxiety is characterized by irrational feelings of worry or fear in an individual who is separated from a loved one or caregiver. It is common for children under the age of six to suffer from these symptoms when separated from a parent or guardian. When a child continues to suffer separation anxiety after the age of six, however, it is considered a disorder by many health specialists. Symptoms of separation anxiety in children may include nightmares abut being left alone, headaches and stomach aches, and attempts to avoid school to stay with a parent. Some causes of separation anxiety in children include trauma or parents who are too protective.
Trauma describes stress that can impair an individual's ability to function. Objects and situations that an individual associates with an original source of trauma can lead to the recurrence of feelings of fear. Illnesses that require hospitalization in early childhood are a common cause of trauma and often can lead to separation anxiety in children. If a child associates being separated from a caregiver with a time of great fear and uncertainty, such as hospitalization, separation anxiety can become extreme.
Another kind of trauma that can cause separation anxiety in children is the death of a loved one. Children often do not understand death and may be more greatly affected by feelings of loss that can cause them to feel that something bad can happen whenever loved ones separate from them, even for short periods of time. Loss of a pet can also cause this anxiety.
Children who are moved from location to location also may suffer from separation anxiety. These children may feel that they lose friends quickly. Associations they feel in certain locations and within certain groups may seem fragile to them. A sense of unease and instability can manifest in separation anxiety.
Many specialists feel that separation anxiety in children often is a result of a caregiver's separation anxiety. In other words, if a child feels that his or her parent becomes anxious whenever leaving him or her alone or with a teacher or babysitter, a child may act out this anxiety. If a child feels that a caregiver is worried, he or she might feel that there is a rational reason to be afraid.
A number of children who experience separation anxiety come from families in which loved ones also suffer from anxiety and other mental disorders. For this reason, many experts believe that some children may have biological dispositions for anxiety. In some cases, however, separation anxiety can be a learned behavior.
