- Symptoms, scientific findings, underlying theories, and some practical advise on how to prevent or reduce separation anxiety in children.
They cry loudly, they're scared... they're impossible to soothe. Children suffering from separation anxiety show these types of symptoms when they are separated from their primary caregiver.
Separation anxiety is an emotional condition characterized by excessive distress, which is associated with temporary separation of the child from the primary caregiver. It is a part of a normal development in children, however, if symptoms persist for more than 4 weeks, your child may be suffering from separation anxiety disorder or SAD (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2004).
SAD is known to be the most common anxiety disorder in children. Approximately one half of the children receiving treatments for anxiety disorders are suffering form SAD (Pincus et al., 2005).
According to the recent study conducted by Allen et al. (2010), it appears that the most common symptoms for SAD are:
- excessive separation distress;
- refusal to go to school or elsewhere due to fear of separation;
- avoidance of being alone and sleeping away from caregivers;
- nightmares with themes of being separated from caregivers.
The study has also identified age and sex differences in the reported symptoms for SAD. It appears that refusal to go to school is more common in girls than boys, and in younger children (less than 8 years of age) than older children (9 to 15 years of age). Given these symptoms, SAD could certainly impair a child's life.
Why do children develop separation anxiety?
Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development
One of the most popular explanation for separation anxiety has been derived from cognitive-developmental theory by Jean Piaget (1896-1980). Infants around 4 to 7 months learn the concept of object permanence. At this stage, babies learn that objects continue to exist even when they are out of sight. This is the reason why your child is amused when you play peek-a-boo with them because they know that you are just hiding.
On the other hand, it is also during this time when they begin to experience anxieties due to separation. Since they know that you don't really disappear, they'll try to look for you when you're out of sight. When they cannot find you, they begin to feel distress.
Some environmental factors may contribute to the feelings of anxiety. Just like adults, children react to stressors. Major life events such as having a new sibling or moving to a new place may intensify feelings of anxiety. SAD is also likely to be preceded by a traumatic experience. Hunger, exhaustion, or restlessness could also aggravate feelings of anxiety.
Parent-child Interaction
Choate et al. (2005) suggest that the interaction between the parent and the child is a major factor in maintaining SAD. Parents may be communicating fears that could arouse anxiety in children. By the same token, the child may respond inappropriately to the anxious behaviors of their parents. Hence, the parent and the child could be interacting anxious behaviors back and forth without noticing it.
When the child's autonomy is not encouraged, the likelihood of developing separation anxiety could increase (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2004). Overprotective parenting may result in inadequate levels of independence in children, thus impairing the child's ability to cope during separation.
Although autonomy is crucial in children's development, responsiveness to the child's needs should not be taken for granted. According to a Canadian developmental psychologist Mary Ainsworth (1913-1999), the emotional bond between the mother and the child should be nurtured to foster secure attachments. When the parent and the child fail to secure healthy attachments, the child is more likely to develop emotional and behavioral problems (Choate et al., 2005).
Learning Theory
Operant conditioning also helps in explaining the development of SAD. When reinforcement contingencies are not properly managed, behaviors that are associated with SAD may increase. For example, when parents soothe their distressed child, they are inadvertently reinforcing separation anxiety behaviors, as a result, this behavior increases.
Children also learn through observation. Parents may be modeling anxiety behaviors, consequently, children learn and imitate such behaviors.
Tips on how to prevent or reduce separation anxiety in children
- Tailor your actions according to the age of the child. Practice leaving your child with someone else before he or she reaches the object permanent stage. This way, your child can learn how to be with someone else before separation anxiety is likely to develop.
- Make transitional changes to ease feelings of anxiety in children. For example, leave your children with someone familiar (i.e. a relative) before leaving them with a new babysitter. Make sure that the babysitter is receptive to the child’s needs to foster secure attachments.
- Increase your child’s sense of control over his or her environment. Encourage every self-sufficient behavior that the child exhibits. Allow your child to lead interactions or conversations. For younger children, try to reinforce active exploration.
- Focus on nurturing a secure relationship with your child. Maternal responsiveness and mother-child positivity can build strong emotional bonds.
- Finally, parents are advised to model non-anxious behaviors. Extinguish anxious reactions of your child by ignoring such behaviors.
Generally, separation anxiety is a phase that a child will outgrow. However, if the separation anxiety behaviors persist, it is advisable to seek professional help.
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References
Allen, J., Lavallee, K., Herrena, C., Ruhea, K., Schneider, S. (2010). DSM-IV criteria for childhood separation anxiety disorder: Informant, age, and sex differences. Journal of Anxiety Disorders 24, 946–952.
Choate, M. L., Pincus, D. B., Eyberg, S. M., & Barlow, D. H. (2005). Parent-Child Interaction Therapy for Treatment of Separation Anxiety Disorder in Young Children: A Pilot Study. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice 12, 126-135.
Nolen-Hoeksema, S. Abnormal Psychology (2004). McGraw-Hill, NY.
Pincus, D., Eyeberg, S., Choate, M. (2005). Adapting parent-child interaction therapy for young children with separation anxiety disorder. Education and Treatment of Children Vol (28) 2, pp. 163-181.
Shaffer, D. R., Wood, E., Willoughby, Teena. Developmental Psychology: Childhood and Adolescence. (2002) Thompson and Nelson, Canada.
Jean Piaget: Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Piaget. Retrieved February 17, 2011.
Mary Ainsworth: Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Ainsworth. Retrieved February 17, 2011.
Photo Credits: Dexter Santucci
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