Is Tina The Only Kid In That Family?

Understanding school phobia.

School phobia or school refusal is common and it occurs in many children globally. These kids may completely refuse to attend school or create excuses why they should not attend. They regularly complain of not feeling well, with unclear and vague symptoms. However, many of these kids have anxiety related symptoms over which they have no control.in addition they may have stomachaches, headaches, nausea or dizziness but it’s unlikely for the kid to have more clear cut symptoms like fever; weight loss , vomiting and diarrhea among others. School phobia usually occur often on school days but absent on weekends. Nonetheless, the doctor’s examination does not detect any true illnesses that can be treated. The type of

• Does the mother see her kid regularly?

• Does she talk to Tina? This is necessary to assess whether there is an existence of separation between Tina and her mother.

The pediatricians conduct a number of tests to assess separation anxiety disorders. I would recommend the pediatrician to conduct interviews, probably with a structured interview such as the diagnostic interview for children and adolescents. In this case, The kid may also be required to complete several self-report questionnaires such as anxiety inventory and social phobia.in addition , the social anxiety scale screens several aspects like social avoidance ,distress and negative evaluation. However, parents, caregivers and teachers and may also be asked to take part in an interview process and to complete various forms of questionnaires such as child behavior checklist.

Separation anxiety disorder is the most common disorder which affects children and adolescence.it exhibits the following symptoms: refusal to go to school or elsewhere because of fear of separation, excessive fear to be alone or without major attachment figures at home, refusal to go sleep without being near major attachment figure or to sleep away from home, consistent nightmares involving the issue of separation, complaints of physical symptoms including stomachaches and headaches ;only when separation from major figures is

In Tina’s age group it’s important to consult a physician before administrating any treatment to find out the root cause for school resistance. Fear of separation, fear of humiliation in front of the peers and worry about performance could be the driving forces of resistance. The treatment of separation anxiety disorder and social phobia is generally administered together. However, a multimodal comprehensive treatment technique include family education, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), pharmacologic and psychosocial interventions. CBT is administered effectively only if the kid is able to function sufficiently well to be involved in daily activities while obtaining the treatment. According to the research units in pediatric psychopharmacology (RUPPI) fluvoxamine is safe and effective in treatment of social phobia and separation anxiety