title: Adult separation anxiety disorder: a disorder comes of age.
abstract: This article explores accruing evidence supporting the occurrence of an adult form of separation anxiety disorder (ASAD), a category yet to be recognized by international classification systems. ASAD can have its first onset in adulthood, although in a portion of cases, it represents a persistence or recurrence of the childhood-onset type. Recent large-scale clinic studies have suggested that ASAD is associated with high levels of disability. In addition, the presence of ASAD in individuals with anxiety disorders seems to signal a poor outcome to cognitive-behavioral therapy. The existing evidence suggests possible grounds for removing the childhood-onset requirement for the category of separation anxiety disorder, thereby allowing for first onset in adulthood. There is a pressing need to design and test appropriate treatments for ASAD and to educate clinicians to identify and manage the condition.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychiatry, Prince of Wales Hospital, University of New South Wales and Black Dog Institute, Randwick, New South Wales 2031, Australia. v.manicavasagar@unsw.edu.au
authors.forename: Vijaya
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Manicavasagar
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marnane
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pini
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abelli
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rees
authors.forename: Valsa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Eapen
authors.forename: Derrick
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Silove
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001010:Anxiety, Separation / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D006801:Humans