“There’s No Place Like Home”: The Challenge of Going to College with Separation Anxiety Disorder

Abstract

Anxiety disorders often occur in children, adolescents, and young adults and can lead to significant problems in social, family, and academic functioning. This chapter describes the case of a young woman with separation anxiety disorder who presents with a dramatic increase in symptoms shortly after starting college. Although she experienced separation anxiety disorder in childhood, she reported few problems during high school. This case illustrates that symptoms of separation anxiety disorder can be masked by parental accommodation during the teen years and that symptoms of separation anxiety disorder can resurface when youth transition to college. The discussion focuses on the importance and practicalities of gradually exposing youth to separations of greater duration and distance during their middle and high school years in order to promote college readiness.