Sections
Separation Anxiety Disorder and School Refusal: Introduction | Separation Anxiety Disorder | School Refusal | Summary Points | References
Excerpt
Separation anxiety disorder (SAD) is the only
anxiety disorder in DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association 1994) and its text revision, DSM-IV-TR (American Psychiatric Association 2000), that is included under the category of
disorders usually first diagnosed in infancy, childhood, or adolescence.
The onset of the disorder is prior to 18 years of age, and it is not
typically diagnosed in adulthood. School refusal is a symptom, not
a diagnosis, in DSM-IV but is often associated with anxiety and/or
mood disorders. It is also restricted to childhood and adolescence.