Parents of children who struggle with separation anxiety disorder often inquire if their children are at risk for developing other psychiatric disorders as they grow older. A new study titled “Separation Anxiety Disorder in Childhood as a Risk Factor for Future Mental Illness,” published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 2008;47(5):548-555, examines this issue. Forty-two subjects with a history of separation anxiety disorder in childhood were prospectively evaluated for mental illness at ages 16, 24, and 30. Comparison groups included subjects with other types of childhood psychiatric disorders, as well a not mentally ill control group. The results were significant. Having the diagnosis of separation anxiety disorder in children “was a strong (78.6%) risk factor for the development of mental disorders during young adulthood. The major vulnerabilities were for panic disorder and depression.” The results of this study suggest that parents of children with separation anxiety disorder should remain alert to the possibility of the development of panic disorder and/or depression in these children as they become young adults.
The Bottom Line: Children with separation anxiety disorder may be at increased risk for developing panic disorder and/or depression in young adulthood.
Reference: Original Article
Suggested Reading:
- Overcoming Anxiety: From Short-Time Fixes to Long-Term Recovery (Paperback) by Reneau Peuifov
- The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook, Fourth Edition (Paperback) by Edmund J. Bourne
- Overcoming Anxiety for Dummies (Paperback) by Laura L. Smith (Author), Charles H. Elliott (Author)
Dr. Jeffrey Speller
Dr. Tanya Korkosz
Psychopharmacology Associates
of New England