A 13-year-old student excessively worries about their parents' relationship. What condition might this student be experiencing?

The student is likely experiencing generalized anxiety if they are excessively worrying specifically about their parents' relationship. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is characterized by persistent and excessive worry about a variety of aspects of life, including relationships, health, school performance, and more. For a 13-year-old, concerns about parental relationships can be a significant source of worry, potentially stemming from a desire for stability and security within the family.

In this case, the student's focus on their parents' relationship represents a broader pattern of anxiety that is not limited to specific situations, which differentiates it from other anxiety disorders that have more defined triggers. While separation anxiety might apply in cases where the child fears being apart from their parents, it doesn’t encompass the ongoing worry about their relationship itself. Similarly, panic disorder involves episodes of intense fear that are more acute and often involve physical symptoms, while acute stress disorder deals with trauma and its immediate aftermath, which does not seem to be the case here either.

Thus, generalized anxiety aligns well with the ongoing and pervasive nature of the student's worries about family dynamics, making it the most appropriate condition to consider in this scenario.