Correlates of separation anxiety symptoms among first-semester college students: an exploratory study

Adult Separation Anxiety and Childhood Traumas: The Mediating Role of Cognitive Distortions

While there are many studies on the relationship between anxiety disorders and childhood traumas in the literature, there are limited studies on the relationship between separation anxiety disorders and traumatic experiences in early life. It is widely known that trauma and negative cognitive processes are important factors in the etiology and prognosis of psychiatric disorders. In this study, it was aimed to determine the relationship between adult separation anxiety levels and childhood traumas and cognitive distortions, and to examine the mediating role of cognitive distortions in the relationship between childhood traumas and separation anxiety. A total of 366 students attending a private university were included in the study. The scales, which were converted into online questionnaires by the researchers, were sent to the students via e-mail, and were administered online. The participants were evaluated using "Adult Separation Anxiety Questionnaire", "Childhood Trauma Questionnaire", and "Cognitive Distortions Scale". The results of the study indicated that there was a positive and significant relationship between adult separation anxiety levels and childhood sexual abuse while there was no statistically significant correlation between adult separation anxiety levels and physical and emotional abuse, or physical and emotional neglect. A positive and significant relationship was found between separation anxiety levels and the sub-dimensions of cognitive distortions' self-image, self-blame, helplessness, hopelessness, and preoccupation with danger. In addition, it was determined that the helplessness and preoccupation with danger sub-dimensions of cognitive distortions had a full mediator effect on the relationship between sexual abuse and separation anxiety. Our results show that there is a positive relationship between separation anxiety disorder and childhood sexual abuse, and cognitive distortions play a mediating role between both variables.

Separation anxiety in a community sample of Italian emerging adults and its relationship with dimensions of borderline personality

Research studies focusing on separation anxiety and its relation with other measures of anxiety and personality-relevant variables in community samples are still scarce. This study aimed to describe in a dimensional perspective the relationship between separation anxiety symptoms, anxiety levels, and personality traits in a community sample of Italian emerging adults. A sample of 260 college students [mean age (M_age)=21.22, standard deviation (SD)=1.91, 79.6% females] completed the adult separation anxiety questionnaire-27 (ASA-27), the state and trait anxiety inventory-Y (STAI-Y), and the personality assessment inventory borderline scale (PAI-BOR). ASA-27 was significantly and positively correlated with the PAI borderline scale. The mediation model showed that ASA-27 influenced the PAI-BOR through trait anxiety. Clinical implications of the study for psychotherapy research are discussed.

College students' stress and health in the COVID-19 pandemic: The role of academic workload, separation from school, and fears of contagion

The COVID-19 pandemic has unhinged the lives of people across the globe. In particular, more than 30 million Chinese college students are home-schooling, yet there is little understanding of how academic workload, separation from school, and fears of contagion lead to a decrease in their health. This study examined the relationships between Chinese college students' three critical stressors and two types of health in the COVID-19 pandemic context. We used a three-wave lagged design with a one-week interval. All the constructs were assessed by self-report in anonymous surveys during the COVID-19 pandemic. College students were asked to report their demographic information, academic workload, separation from school, fears of contagion, perceived stress, and health. The results of this study showed that academic workload, separation from school, and fears of contagion had negative effects on college students' health via perceived stress. In the COVID-19 crisis, multiple prevention and control measures focusing on college students may lead them to have different degrees of stress and health problems. Our results enrich the literature on stress and health and offer novel practical implications for all circles of the society to ensure students' health under the context of the COVID-19 epidemic.

The separation of adult separation anxiety disorder

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) categorization of mental disorders places "separation anxiety disorder" within the broad group of anxiety disorders, and its diagnosis no longer rests on establishing an onset during childhood or adolescence. In previous editions of DSM, it was included within the disorders usually first diagnosed in infancy, childhood, or adolescence, with the requirement for an onset of symptoms before the age of 18 years: symptomatic adults could only receive a retrospective diagnosis, based on establishing this early onset. The new position of separation anxiety disorder is based upon the findings of epidemiological studies that revealed the unexpectedly high prevalence of the condition in adults, often in individuals with an onset of symptoms after the teenage years; its prominent place within the DSM-5 group of anxiety disorders should encourage further research into its epidemiology, etiology, and treatment. This review examines the clinical features and boundaries of the condition, and offers guidance on how it can be distinguished from other anxiety disorders and other mental disorders in which "separation anxiety" may be apparent.