Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 20, 2026
Separation of Immune Cell Subpopulations in Peripheral Blood Samples from Children with Infectious Mononucleosis
Published on: September 7, 2022
Adverse impact of multiple separations or loss of primary caregivers on young children
Margaret J Briggs-Gowan1, Carolyn Greene1, Julian Ford1
1Department of Psychiatry, UConn Health, Farmington, CT, USA.
Insights
Childhood separation and loss significantly impact young children, leading to trauma symptoms and psychiatric disorders. These effects persist even when accounting for other adversities like violence.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Trauma Studies
Background:
- Young children face adverse impacts from separation and loss of loved ones, often alongside interpersonal violence and trauma.
- The unique effects of separation/loss, independent of other adversities, remain unclear in early childhood.
- Understanding these impacts is crucial for early intervention and support.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if separation/loss is linked to trauma symptoms, psychiatric disorders, and functional impairment in children aged 18-48 months.
- To assess the independent contribution of separation/loss compared to other adversities.
- To inform targeted support for vulnerable young children.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of a cross-sectional community and clinical cohort of children aged 18-48 months.
- Recruitment from diverse pediatric settings including primary care, mental health, and developmental services.
- Inclusion of children with varied ethnic backgrounds and socioeconomic statuses.
Main Results:
- Separation/loss experiences were common, affecting 30.9% (single type) and 15.0% (multiple types) of children.
- Separation/loss showed significant associations with posttraumatic stress, reactive attachment symptoms, functional impairment, and psychiatric disorders.
- Multiple separations/losses approximately doubled the likelihood of psychiatric disorders, independent of interpersonal violence.
Conclusions:
- Accumulated caregiver separations/losses can detrimentally affect young children, regardless of violence exposure.
- Professionals, policymakers, and caregivers must recognize the independent risks associated with separation/loss.
- Early identification and intervention are vital for children experiencing multiple separations/losses.
Abstract:
Background: Young children may be adversely impacted by separation from and loss of caregivers and other loved ones. Such experiences often co-occur with interpersonal violence, unpredictability and other traumas. Whether separation/loss has unique effects independent of those other adversities is not known. Objective: This study aimed to establish whether separation/loss is associated with trauma-related symptoms, psychiatric disorders, and functional impairment in 18- to 48-month-old children independent of other adversities. Methods: Data from a cross-sectional community and clinical cohort were analyzed. Recruitment occurred in pediatric primary care, mental health, and developmental services sites. Children (33% female) were heterogeneous in ethnic background (55% minority) and family socioeconomic status (40% living in poverty). Results: Separation/loss was common (30.9% single type, 15.0% multiple types) and frequent amongst violence-exposed children (84.4% of violence-exposed children had experienced separation/loss from a loved one). However, violence exposure was uncommon amongst children with separation/loss experiences (only 23.9% were violence-exposed). Separation/loss was significantly associated with symptoms of posttraumatic stress and reactive attachment, as well as impairment and psychiatric disorders in models that controlled for sociodemographic and contextual risks, including other traumas. Psychiatric disorders were approximately 2.5 times more likely in children who had experienced multiple separations/losses, after accounting for interpersonal violence which was also significant. Conclusion: Professionals working with young children, policy-makers and caregivers should be aware that an accumulation of caregiver separations/losses, irrespective of violence and other traumatic exposure, may have detrimental effects on young children especially in the context of prior separations/losses or disruptions in their lives.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
08:44Separation of Immune Cell Subpopulations in Peripheral Blood Samples from Children with Infectious Mononucleosis
12:08Cultivate Primary Nasal Epithelial Cells from Children and Reprogram into Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
08:08Home-Based EEG Hyperscanning for Infant-Caregiver Social Interactions
09:38Quantitative Assessment of Cortical Auditory-tactile Processing in Children with Disabilities
04:55Handheld Metal Detector Screening for Metallic Foreign Body Ingestion in Children
07:36Classical Short-Delay Eyeblink Conditioning in One-Year-Old Children