Separation Anxiety Disorder and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Separation Anxiety Disorder and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy











Abstract
Separation anxiety disorder can be compared to an adult’s version of panic disorder with agoraphobia, phobic avoidance, catastrophic interpretations, and panic symptoms, but the age of the patients differentiate the diagnoses. Separation anxiety is a normal developmental milestone, which “appears at the age of 6 to 8 months, peaks at 10 to 18 months and subsides by 2 to 3 years old.” (Ehrenreich, Santucci, &Weiner, 2008). Abnormal separation anxiety, also known as separation anxiety disorder, is composed of two core ingredients: excessive anxiety upon separation and a formed attachment to a primary caregiver (Carruth, 2000). Formerly, SAD has been treated primarily with medication or psychodynamic, family or behavioral interventions (Dia, 2001). CBT therapy for children and adolescents is based on behavioral therapy, cognitive therapy and the gradual fading of the attachment figure farther away from the child (Carruth, 2000). Both the parent and child are engaged through the therapy sessions. The succeeding literature review presents the trajectory of the usage of cognitive behavioral therapy as a treatment plan for separation anxiety disorder.













Separation Anxiety Disorder and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Review of the Trajectory and its Implications
Separation anxiety disorder can be compared to an adult’s version of panic disorder with agoraphobia, phobic avoidance, catastrophic interpretations, and panic symptoms, but the age of the patients differentiate the diagnoses. Separation anxiety is a normal developmental milestone, which “appears at the age of 6 to 8 months, peaks at 10 to 18 months and subsides by 2 to 3 years old.” (Ehrenreich, Santucci, &Weiner, 2008) Along with object permanence, the child builds normal separation response levels by the age of 3 (Ehrenreich, Santucci, &Weiner, 2008). Abnormal separation anxiety, also known as...