Separation Anxiety Disorder Separation anxiety disorder (SAD) is characterized by persistent and frequent fears or worries that do not correspond to the norms of normal development (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). There is age inappropriate anxiety when the individual is separated from their attached figure, which causes significant distress and impartment to their life. SAD can causes persistent, excessive, and recurrent distress about being separated from or losing their attached figure. These symptoms can be observed when an individual refuses to spend the night elsewhere, experiences fear and worry regarding the attachment figure, or ruminates over possible harm that their attached
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The use of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective intervention that consists of five components (Albano & Kendall, 2002). The components include psychoeducation which educates the individual and their caregivers about a disorder, somatic management skills training that relates to physical responses, cognitive restructuring to help the individual recognize maladaptive thought patterns, exposure method which puts the individual in a anxiety provoking situation to help them control their anxiety, and relapse prevention plans. Although it can be an intense process, they all play an important role in the well being of the child and their ability to cope with SAD. The Coping Cat Program is a CBT intervention used on anxious school aged children and youth. Albano and Kendall’s (2001) study, randomized children ages 8-13 who have SAD or Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) into two groups: CBT or wait- listed condition. The study demonstrated that children in the CBT condition reported significant improvement. Furthermore, approximately 66% of the children who participated in the study no longer met the criteria in the DSM-5. If a clinician is trained on the Coping Cat Program, they can help children who are struggling with anxiety disorders such as SAD to cope …show more content…
For SAD, an objective can be to create an environment that is supportive to the child’s needs. For example, through psycheducation, the clinician may teach the parent to be patient, stay calm when their child is feeling anxious, respond and comfort their child when they have a nightmare, listen to their child when they are distressed, or to communicate with their child when they are returning to school after a long period of refusing to attend. With CBT, possible treatment goals can consist of exposure therapy. The clinician may require the parent to arrange a play date with a friend of the child and during the first play date the presence of the parent may be important. The therapist will work with the child to reduce any anxiety that the child may feel. After the goal is completed, the clinician may ask for the child to have a play date in where the parent is not present. Following this goal, the child may be required to spend the night at their friend’s house. This example makes it evident that the child is slowly being exposed to some of their fears; however, they are being taught the proper mechanisms to help them cope with their anxiety. With CBT, the significance is to help the child struggling with SAD to recognize the sign associated with their anxiety (Albano & Kendall, 2002). Once they are able to recognize those signs they can incorporate strategies that they learned during
The use of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective intervention that consists of five components (Albano & Kendall, 2002). The components include psychoeducation which educates the individual and their caregivers about a disorder, somatic management skills training that relates to physical responses, cognitive restructuring to help the individual recognize maladaptive thought patterns, exposure method which puts the individual in a anxiety provoking situation to help them control their anxiety, and relapse prevention plans. Although it can be an intense process, they all play an important role in the well being of the child and their ability to cope with SAD. The Coping Cat Program is a CBT intervention used on anxious school aged children and youth. Albano and Kendall’s (2001) study, randomized children ages 8-13 who have SAD or Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) into two groups: CBT or wait- listed condition. The study demonstrated that children in the CBT condition reported significant improvement. Furthermore, approximately 66% of the children who participated in the study no longer met the criteria in the DSM-5. If a clinician is trained on the Coping Cat Program, they can help children who are struggling with anxiety disorders such as SAD to cope …show more content…
For SAD, an objective can be to create an environment that is supportive to the child’s needs. For example, through psycheducation, the clinician may teach the parent to be patient, stay calm when their child is feeling anxious, respond and comfort their child when they have a nightmare, listen to their child when they are distressed, or to communicate with their child when they are returning to school after a long period of refusing to attend. With CBT, possible treatment goals can consist of exposure therapy. The clinician may require the parent to arrange a play date with a friend of the child and during the first play date the presence of the parent may be important. The therapist will work with the child to reduce any anxiety that the child may feel. After the goal is completed, the clinician may ask for the child to have a play date in where the parent is not present. Following this goal, the child may be required to spend the night at their friend’s house. This example makes it evident that the child is slowly being exposed to some of their fears; however, they are being taught the proper mechanisms to help them cope with their anxiety. With CBT, the significance is to help the child struggling with SAD to recognize the sign associated with their anxiety (Albano & Kendall, 2002). Once they are able to recognize those signs they can incorporate strategies that they learned during