Individuals with separation anxiety disorder experience excessive fear or anxiety when separated from people to whom they feel strongly attached.
In children, this may involve difficulty separating from parents or other significant caregivers, such as grandparents or domestic helpers. This fear or anxiety is unusual or inappropriate for the individual's developmental age and is recurrent or prolonged and severe. Fear and anxiety is typically persistent for at least four weeks in children and adolescents, and typically six months or more in adults. It causes impairment in social, academic, occupational and other functional areas.
Children may experience significant anxiety and distress when having to separate from caregivers to go to school or to enrichment activities, or when being left in a room by themselves. They may try to avoid situations in which separation may occur.
Adults may find it difficult to go to work, get married or move out of the home to live independently.