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Case Study Separation Anxiety Disorder

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Diagnosis and Treatment of Separation Anxiety Disorder

CASE STUDY 6

CLIENT DETAILS
Diagnosis: Separation Anxiety Disorder.
Age: 6 years.
Client Gender: Male.
Initial Consultation: 20th May 2011.
Number of Sessions: 12 sessions.
Place of Treatment: The agency.
Treatment Approach: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
Treatment Mode: Weekly one hour sessions.

Referral Information

The client’s mother referred her son to the agency because he was suffering from anxiety. He was resisting going to go to school and becoming distressed when his parents tried to leave him at home.

Presenting Problem

The client attended his first assessment session with his mother. He was of average size and weight for his age and was neatly dressed. Initially, he behaved in an anxious manner hiding and peering out from behind his mother. However as the session progressed his mood became more relaxed and he was able to speak with the provisional psychologist about school activities and friends. When asked why he didn’t want to go to school he said it was ‘boring’. He said he didn’t want to eat at school because he ‘didn’t feel hungry and was scared of feeling sick’. The client’s speech was clear and articulate. The client did not want to stay with the provisional psychologist for the WISC IV testing but agreed to, if the door was left open, and his mother could sit in the next room, which enabled the testing to be completed. The client was highly motivated to complete the test items. He said that some items were ‘getting hard’ and that he liked doing the puzzles because they kept ‘changing’ and were ‘fun’.

Risk Assessment

No risk of harm to self or others was identified. Anxiety disorders in childhood represent a major vulnerability for mental disorders in adulthood and therefore the case represents the need for treatment to address this risk

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