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Parent-child concordance for separation anxiety: a clinical study
V Manicavasagar1, D Silove, R Rapee
1Psychiatry Research and Teaching Unit, Liverpool Hospital, NSW, Sydney, Australia. v.manicavasagar@unsw.edu.au
Journal of Affective Disorders
|June 28, 2001
Summary
Separation anxiety disorder shows a familial link, with 63% of children diagnosed having a parent with the adult form. Affected parents also reported childhood separation anxiety, suggesting a family pattern.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Child Psychology
- Genetics
Background:
- Separation anxiety disorder (SAD) is a common childhood anxiety disorder.
- Existing research suggests a potential familial component to SAD.
- Understanding familial aggregation is crucial for prevention and treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the concordance of separation anxiety disorder between children and their parents.
- To explore the association between childhood SAD and parental psychiatric history.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 54 children diagnosed with anxiety disorders and their parents (54 mothers, 29 fathers).
- Participants were recruited from juvenile anxiety clinics.
- Parental psychiatric history, including adult separation anxiety and childhood separation anxiety, was assessed.
Main Results:
- Sixty-three percent of children with juvenile separation anxiety disorder had at least one parent with the adult variant (odds ratio = 11.1, P < 0.001).
- Affected parents reported significant childhood separation anxiety.
- Juvenile SAD was not linked to other parental diagnoses.
Conclusions:
- The findings provide tentative evidence for the familial aggregation of separation anxiety disorder.
- Parent-child concordance for separation anxiety disorder appears significant.
- Further research with larger sample sizes is warranted to confirm these findings.