Childhood separation anxiety and separation events in women with agoraphobia with or without panic disorder.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the association between separation anxiety and actual separation events during childhood in adult patients with agoraphobia with or without panic disorder (PD).

METHOD

Forty-two women with agoraphobia with or without PD participated in long-term follow-ups after exposure-in-vivo treatment. We assessed separation anxiety and separation events from age 0 to 18 years, as well as adult separation from a spouse.

RESULTS

Childhood separation experiences (55%) and separation anxiety were significantly higher in patients than in healthy subjects, but both conditions were not associated with each other. Childhood separation anxiety was related to adult separation events.

CONCLUSIONS

Retrospective measures of childhood separation anxiety appear to be confounded by adult separation events. Thus the conclusion of whether childhood anxiety is a consequence of actual childhood separation events cannot be drawn, owing to a lacking association between both ratings.