3 Separation Anxiety , Generalized Anxiety , and Social Anxiety

Abstract

The three most common pediatric anxiety disorders—separation anxiety, generalized anxiety, and social anxiety—share the same underlying construct of anxiety, have significant symptom overlap, are highly comorbid with one another, and show similar familial relationships and continuity with adult anxiety and depressive disorders. For these reasons, the three disorders are often grouped together as they are in this section. The three anxiety disorders are described separately here; however, the reader should note that each etiology and treatment section is informative with regard to separation anxiety, generalized anxiety, and social anxiety.