Pari, who is eight years old now, continues to cling to her parents and refuses to go to school without them. She screams, throws tantrums and feels fearful when she is left alone in a room by herself. These are characteristic features of:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Separation anxiety disorder
Option (1) Panic disorder — Incorrect. It consists of recurrent anxiety attacks of intense terror that rise abruptly, with shortness of breath, dizziness, palpitations and fear of dying. Pari’s fear is not sudden attacks; it comes whenever she is away from her parents.
Option (2) Phobia — Incorrect. Phobias are irrational fears related to specific objects, people or situations, such as a fear of lifts or of heights. Pari fears being parted from her parents, not a particular object.
Option (3) Separation anxiety disorder — Correct. Individuals with SAD are fearful and anxious about separation from attachment figures to an extent that is not appropriate for their age. Children with SAD may have difficulty being in a room by themselves, going to school alone, and cling to and shadow their parents; to avoid separation they may fuss, scream and throw severe tantrums, as Pari does at eight.
Option (4) Generalised anxiety disorder — Incorrect. It consists of prolonged, vague, unexplained and intense fears not attached to any particular object, with worry about the future and motor tension. Pari’s fear has a clear object: separation from her parents.
Note: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2025 on 21-05-2025 (Slot 1).
NCERT (2025-26): “Anxiety Disorders … They include generalised anxiety disorder, which consists of prolonged, vague, unexplained and intense fears that are not attached to any particular object. The symptoms include worry and apprehensive feelings about the future; hypervigilance, which involves constantly scanning the environment for dangers. It is marked by motor tension, as a result of which the person is unable to relax, is restless, and visibly shaky and tense. Another type of anxiety disorder is panic disorder, which consists of recurrent anxiety attacks in which the person experiences intense terror. A panic attack denotes an abrupt surge of intense anxiety rising to a peak when thoughts of a particular stimuli are present.…” “…People who have phobias have irrational fears related to specific objects, people, or situations.…” “…Separation anxiety disorder (SAD) is another type of anxiety disorder. Individuals with separation anxiety disorder are fearful and anxious about separation from attachment figures to an extent that is developmentally not appropriate. Children with SAD may have difficulty being in a room by themselves, going to school alone, are fearful of entering new situations, and cling to and shadow their parents’ every move. To avoid separation, children with SAD may fuss, scream, throw severe tantrums, or make suicidal gestures.” |