Risk factors

Separation anxiety disorder most often begins in childhood, but may continue into the teenage years and sometimes into adulthood.

Risk factors may include:

• Life stresses or loss that result in separation, such as the illness or death of a loved one, loss of a beloved pet, divorce of parents, or moving or going away to school
• Certain temperaments, which are more prone to anxiety disorders than others are
• Family history, including blood relatives who have problems with anxiety or an anxiety disorder, indicating that those traits could be inherited
• Environmental issues, such as experiencing some type of disaster that involves separation