[Separation anxiety disorder and eating disorders]

Separation anxiety disorder (SAD) is probably the most common anxiety disorder observed in childhood. If some studies suggest that SAD may increase the risk of anxiety and mood disorders in adolescents and young people, the outcome of childhood SAD remains unclear. Because of the high mental-eating disorders comorbidity, we performed a follow-back study in 81 young patients showing anorexia nervosa (AN) or bulimia nervosa (BN) according to DSM III-R criteria. The current and lifetime psychiatric histories were assessed using structured interviews (SADS-LA and SCID) and the psychopathological profile with the SCL-90. The results showed that about 20% of young patients with AN and BN had a past history of childhood SAD. This subgroup of patients significantly differed from the other (without childhood SAD) with respect to associated anxiety and depressive disorders. These data suggest a specific association between eating disorders and childhood SAD and show that epidemiologic investigations can be helpful for planning the prevention and treatment of eating disorders.