What are the signs of middle child syndrome?

The signs of middle child syndrome often include one of the following: low self-esteem, neediness, social withdrawal or a lack of direction in life. A middle child may exhibit one or more of the symptoms.

Middle child syndrome is a term that was created to describe common deficiencies that middle children often develop. The accepted cause of the syndrome is the lack of attention they are paid by parents that spend more of their attention on the youngest child. While the oldest child is given extra responsibility, the middle child is often left out and develops middle child syndrome if not paid enough attention.