This disorder is characterised by an excessive anxiety concerning the separation from major attachment figures in the child’s life (e.g. parents, siblings, even teachers). This can be accompanied by emotional outbursts, complaints and physical distress. The disorder is generally found in pre-school children and toddlers, and rarely onsets in adolescence. However if occurring in infancy there can be relapses in later life. The disorder can also be accompanied by a fear of the dark (and things imagined in the dark). Pre-disposing factors normally included some family orientated distressful incident (e.g. death of a relative, pet or long term illness).

1. child possesses an unrealistic preoccupying worry about harm befalling attachment figures, or fear that they will leave them and not return.
2. child possesses an unrealistic preoccupying worry that a calamitous event will separate child from attachment figure (e.g. child will be the victim of an accident).
3. child is persistently reluctant or refuses to go to school in order to stay with major attachment figure or at home.
4. child persistently avoids being alone, including “cling” to and “shadowing” major attachment figures.
5. child is persistently reluctant to go to sleep without being near major attachment figure or at home.
6. child has repeated nightmares involving the theme of separation.
7. child complains of physical symptoms (e.g. headaches, stomach-aches, nausea or vomiting) on school days or in anticipation of separation from attachment figures.
8. child displays recurring signs or complaints of excessive distress in anticipation of separation from home or major attachment figures (e.g. temper tantrums, crying, pleading with parents not to leave).
9. child displays recurring signs or complaints of excessive distress when separated from home or major attachment figures (e.g. wants to go home, needs to call parents etc.).

It is always possible that the child is suffering from being the victim of severe or systematic bullying and that this behaviour is an attempt to avoid the situation. This should always carefully be investigated first before considering a disorder.

“Attachment Behaviour and the School Child: An Introduction to Education and Therapy”, M.& T. Trevitt (1991), London, Routledge.

“Childhood Behavioural Disorders and Emotional Disturbance: An Introduction to”, S.J. Apter & J.C. Conoley (1994), London, Prentice-Hall.

“Children’s Phobias: A Behavioural Perspective”, N. King, D. Hamilton & O. Ollendick (1994), London, Wiley.

“International Handbook of Phobic and Anxiety Disorders in Children and Adolescents”, N.J. King & W. Yule (1994), London, Plenum Press.