Psychological strains after the crisis: evaluating separation anxiety among Iranian children and adolescents in the post-COVID-19 era.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to specifically investigate Separation Anxiety Disorder (SAD), as one of the noteworthy disorders within the spectrum of anxiety disorders, among children and adolescents, after overcoming the crises caused by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Efforts were also made to identify socio-demographic factors that could be associated with changes in SAD level and also to assess the effect of different constituting dimensions of SAD on the severity of this disorder. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, face-to-face interviews were conducted with the parents of 317 (7-13-year-old) Iranian students, who were selected through a multi-stage random sampling method in the city of Shiraz. During the interviews, socio-demographic data were collected, and subsequently, SAD symptoms and dimensions were assessed using the Separation Anxiety Assessment Scale (Parent Version) (SAAS-P) questionnaire. Later, employing the Partition Around Medoids (PAM) statistical method, the participants were categorized into two groups with low and high levels of SAD. Also, to understand the interaction between the different dimensions of SAD, the network analysis method was employed. Finally, univariate analysis and logistic regression were utilized, with a significance level of 0.05, to determine potential associating factors with the level of SAD. RESULTS: The sample included 128 girls and 189 boys with a mean age of 9.63 ± 2.63 and 9.63 ± 1.95 years respectively. Based on the PAM method, 51.1% of the participants presented a high level of SAD. According to network analysis, it was demonstrated that the "fear of abandonment" dimension plays a central role in high levels of SAD. Based on logistic regression, female gender, age ≥ 10 years, parents' unacademic educational background, mother's employment, and child's history of physical/mental problems were significantly associated with the high level of SAD. CONCLUSIONS: A considerable number of the participants in this study presented a high level of SAD with the "fear of abandonment" being a key influential dimension of elevated levels of this disorder. Maternal employment, female gender, child's history of health issues, and low parental education were identified as important contributors to the high SAD level. Considering these factors allows for more effective diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. However, the need for further studies remains crucial.

Childhood Separation Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder: Differences Between Respiratory and Nonrespiratory Subtypes.

Objective: The association between childhood separation anxiety disorder (CSAD) and panic disorder (PD) has been demonstrated, although some findings are contradictory. The separation anxiety hypothesis postulates that both CSAD and PD encompass a heightened sensitivity to carbon dioxide (CO2). Patients with the respiratory subtype (RS) of PD are known to be more sensitive to CO2 than those from the nonrespiratory subtype (NRS). Therefore, the primary objective centered on the comparative analysis of CSAD prevalence between RS and NRS groups, with secondary objectives focusing on the comparative assessment of RS and NRS groups and the control group.Methods: Sixty RS-PD patients, 60 NRS-PD patients, and 60 controls were assessed for retrospective diagnosis of CSAD between March 2020 and August 2023 using a diagnostic categorical instrument, DSM-5 criteria, and a dimensional one, the Separation Anxiety Symptom Inventory.Results: RS patients had a significantly greater history of CSAD (55%) compared to the NRS (23%) and control (17%) groups (P < .001), which shows stronger association with the RS group. As seen in logistic regression, RS patients had 3.02 more chances of having CSAD when compared the NRS group and 5.11 when compared to the control group, which shows stronger association with the RS group.Conclusion: This study supports the hypothesis that RS-PD is associated with CSAD, while there is a weak association between NRS-PD and CSAD. It is advisable for clinicians to screen individuals with RS-PD for symptoms of separation anxiety, as these symptoms may have a negative impact on the prognosis of PD.Prim Care Companion CNS Disord 2024;26(5):24m03709. Author affiliations are listed at the end of this article.

Separation anxiety disorder, perceived overprotection and quality of life in epilepsy patients.

OBJECTIVE: People with epilepsy suffer from the stress of living with a chronic, unpredictable disease that can lead to discrimination, misunderstanding, social stigma, and loss of autonomy in activities of daily life, elevating anxiety. Within the scope of this research, we aimed to elucidate the frequency of separation anxiety disorder in adult people with epilepsy and to examine the relationship between separation anxiety symptoms, perceived overprotection, and quality of life in comparison to the control group. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This prospective study was conducted with 105 people with epilepsy and 115 healthy volunteers. All participants were evaluated by a psychiatrist in this study using a DSM-5-based clinical interview. Sociodemographic Data Questionnaire, Structured Clinical Interview for Separation Anxiety Symptoms (SCI-SAS), Separation Anxiety Symptom Inventory (SASI), Adult Separation Anxiety Questionnaire (ASA-27), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were administered to both groups, and Overprotection Scale, Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory (QOLIE-31) to only epilepsy group. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to explain the quality of life in epilepsy. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to explain separation anxiety symptom scores. RESULTS: The rates of education, employment, and living alone were lower in the epilepsy group (p < 0.001, p < 0.001 and p < 0.001). Separation anxiety disorder of adulthood and other psychiatric comorbidities were significantly higher in the epilepsy group (p = 0.029 and p = 0.003). There was a significant negative correlation between the quality of life in epilepsy and separation anxiety symptom level, overprotection, and depression scores (p < 0.001, p = 0.01 and p < 0.01). In the logistic regression analysis, adult separation anxiety symptom level and depression scores were found to be independent factors for quality of life in epilepsy (p = 0.029 and p < 0.01). In patients with epilepsy, depression and quality of life scores were predictors for adult separation anxiety symptoms severity (p = 0.02 and p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: The frequency of diagnosis of separation anxiety disorder in adulthood was significantly higher in people with epilepsy. Overprotective attitudes of families and low quality of life were associated with high levels of separation anxiety.

Association between developmental patterns of single and concurrent externalizing behaviors and internalizing problems over the preschool years.

The present study investigated whether distinct developmental patterns of externalizing behaviors (EBs: hyperactivity-impulsivity, noncompliance, physical aggression) based on parent reports were repeatedly and differentially associated with separate dimensions of internalizing problems such as general anxiety, separation anxiety, and depressive symptoms across the early, middle, and late preschool years in a population birth cohort (N = 2,057, 50.7% boys). Six high trajectory classes obtained by latent growth modeling were used as longitudinal indicators of single EB and co-occurrent EBs. Children following low or moderate trajectories for all EBs served as the reference class. Results revealed that children in trajectory classes reflecting high levels of co-occurring EBs showed higher levels of general anxiety, separation anxiety, and depressive symptoms across the preschool years. In contrast, children in trajectory classes reflecting single EB manifested higher levels of some, but not all, dimensions of internalizing problems. In addition, their scores varied from one period to another. No sex differences were observed in the above associations. These results underline the need for comprehensive assessments across distinct types of EBs and internalizing problems to better reflect the characteristics that distinguish individual children. Finally, results suggest that children showing early co-occurrent EBs and internalizing symptoms may be an important group to target for in-depth assessment and possibly preventive intervention. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Longitudinal study of peer victimization, social support, and mental health during early adolescence.

BACKGROUND: Peer victimization predicts the development of mental health symptoms in the transition to adolescence, but it is unclear whether and how parents and school environments can buffer this link. METHODS: We analyzed two-year longitudinal data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, involving a diverse sample of 11 844 children across the United States (average at baseline = 9.91 years; standard deviation = 0.63; range = 8.92-11.08; complete case sample = 8385). Longitudinal associations between peer victimization and two-year changes in mental health symptoms of major depression disorder (MDD), separation anxiety (SA), prodromal psychosis (PP), and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were examined including a wide range of covariates. Mixed linear models were used to test for the moderating effects of parental warmth and prosocial school environment. RESULTS: 20% of children experienced peer victimization. Higher exposure to peer victimization was associated with increases in MDD, SA, and ADHD symptoms. Parental warmth was associated with decreases in MDD symptoms but did not robustly buffer the link between peer victimization and mental health symptoms. Prosocial school environment predicted decreases in PP symptoms and buffered the link between peer victimization and MDD symptoms but amplified the link between peer victimization and SA and ADHD symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Peer victimization is associated with increases in mental health symptoms during the transition to adolescence. Parental warmth and prosocial school environments might not be enough to counter the negative consequences of peer victimization on all mental health outcomes.

Inattention symptom severity and cognitive processes in children at risk of ADHD: the moderating role of separation anxiety.

Impairments in cognitive processes and their associations with dimensional measures of inattention, hyperactivity-impulsivity and anxiety were examined in children at risk of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Children referred by teachers for exhibiting ADHD-type problems (n = 116; 43 meeting full diagnostic criteria for ADHD; 4-8 years) completed computerized tasks measuring episodic memory, response inhibition, visuomotor control and sustained attention, while parents were interviewed (DAWBA) to assess ADHD and anxiety symptoms. Of the 116 children assessed, 72% exhibited impaired cognitive processes; 47% had impaired visuomotor control, 37% impaired response inhibition, and 35% had impaired episodic memory. Correlational and hierarchical regression analyses using our final analytic sample (i.e., children who completed all cognitive tasks and a vocabulary assessment, n = 114) showed that poorer task performance and greater within-subject variability were significantly associated with more severe inattention symptoms but not with hyperactivity-impulsivity severity. Symptoms of separation anxiety, which were reported in over half of the sample, moderated associations between inattention and episodic memory, and between inattention and inhibition. Only children without separation anxiety showed significant correlations between ADHD symptoms and poor performance. However, separation anxiety had no moderating effect on associations between inattention and visuomotor control or sustaining attention. Children exhibiting signs of ADHD show impairments across a range of cognitive tasks. Further research to improve our understanding of these processes may be useful in the development of early interventions. Our results suggest that separation anxiety should be taken into account when considering interventions to address emerging neuropsychological deficits associated with this disorder.

Câncer materno: a compreensão da criança e suas representações / Maternal cancer: the child's understanding and its representations / Cáncer materno: comprensión del niño y sus representaciones

O câncer é uma doença crônico-degenerativa, que tem como uma de suas principais características a capacidade de invadir tecidos e órgãos do corpo, favorecendo o crescimento desordenado de células. É uma doença que impacta fortemente a pessoa enferma e todos à sua volta, incluindo sua família e seus amigos. A partir desse cenário, este trabalho visou compreender a visão da criança e o impacto emocional sofrido diante do diagnóstico de câncer da mãe. Buscou-se avaliar, a partir de ferramentas lúdicas e do desenho-estória, o entendimento da criança em relação ao processo de adoecimento materno, tomando como base o referencial psicanalítico para reconhecer como ela lidou com a situação. Participaram desta pesquisa uma mulher de 39 anos com diagnóstico de câncer em remissão e seu filho de 9 anos. Os resultados demonstraram que o adoecimento materno causou impactos emocionais significativos e assustadores para o infante, gerando fantasias irreais relacionadas ao câncer e a si próprio. Dessa forma, considera-se de fundamental importância o cuidado estendido aos familiares do indivíduo doente, a fim de que se tenha um olhar a todos que sofrem diante desse contexto.(AU)

Cancer is a chronic-degenerative disease that has as one of its main characteristics the ability to invade tissues and organs of the body, favoring the disordered cell growth. It is a disease that strongly impacts the sick person and everyone around them, including their family and friends. Based on this scenario, this work aimed to understand the child's view and the emotional impact suffered in the face of the mother's cancer diagnosis. It sought to evaluate, with ludic tools and drawing history, the child's understanding about the mother's illness process, based on the psychoanalytic framework to recognize how they deal with the situation. A 39-year-old woman diagnosed with cancer, in remission, and her 9-year-old son participated in this research. The results showed that the maternal illness caused significant and frightening emotional impacts for the infant, creating unrealistic fantasies related to cancer and to himself. Thus, the care extended to the sick individual's family and to the relatives is considered of fundamental importance, to give a complete care for all those who suffer in this context.(AU)

El cáncer es una enfermedad crónico-degenerativa, que tiene como una de sus principales características la capacidad de invadir tejidos y órganos, favoreciendo un crecimiento desordenado de las células. Enfermedades como esta impactan fuertemente a la persona que está enferma y a todos los que la rodean, incluidos familiares y amigos. Considerando esta situación, este estudio tuvo como objetivo comprender la percepción de un niño y el impacto emocional que sufrió ante el diagnóstico del cáncer vivido por su madre. Se pretendió evaluar, utilizando herramientas lúdicas y de dibujo-cuento, la comprensión del niño al proceso de enfermedad materna, buscando reconocer cómo el niño manejó este proceso a partir del referencial teórico psicoanalítico. En esta investigación participaron una mujer de 39 años diagnosticada de cáncer en remisión y su hijo de 9 años. Los resultados mostraron que los impactos emocionales de la enfermedad materna fueron significativos y aterradores para el infante, generando fantasías irreales relacionadas con el cáncer y él mismo. De esta forma, el cuidado extendido a la familia del individuo que está enfrentando esta enfermedad es importante para promover una atención integral a quienes la padecen en este contexto.(AU)

Separation-related Problems and Their Interaction with Physical Disease.

The condition of separation-related problems (SRPs) is common in companion dogs and clinicians should be comfortable diagnosing it. There are numerous diagnoses related to physical disease that have clinical signs similar to SRP, that exacerbate SRP, or may cause regression in treatment of SRP. Common examples include conditions affecting the following systems: musculoskeletal, neurologic, gastrointestinal, and dermatologic. Therefore, it is important for clinicians to rule out causes of physical disease and address them accordingly. The signalment of the patient, medications they are receiving, and other behavioral comorbidities should also be considered.

How is the loss of a parent in youth related to attachment and adult separation anxiety among women?

This study aimed to examine attachment and adult separation anxiety (ASA) among women who lost a parent in their youth. We hypothesized that insecure attachment and increased ASA from a romantic partner would be found among women who have lost a parent in youth, compared to women whose parents were both alive. Sixty women who lost one or both parents in their youth and 60 who had living parents participated in the study (mean age: 32.3, range: 18-62 years). Participants filled out the ASA and Short Attachment questionnaires. Women who lost a parent reported higher levels of anxious attachment and ASA from partner; the two groups did not differ, however, in terms of avoidant attachment. Additionally, similar effects on ASA and attachment were found among adult women who lost a father or a mother in their youth. In conclusion, the loss of a parent early in life may be associated with an insecure attachment style and increased ASA.

Maternal Labor Force Participation During the Child's First Year and Later Separation Anxiety Symptoms.

Separation anxiety symptoms are frequent among preschool-aged children, but it is also a possible gateway for diagnosis of separation anxiety disorder. Early maternal employment after childbirth can increase the risk for the development of separation anxiety symptoms. From an economic perspective, however, securing employment is one effective strategy to ensure child well-being. This study investigated how mothers' participation in the labor force (vs. maternal leave) and the financial state of families when the child was 5 months old was prospectively associated with separation anxiety symptoms. This study is based on 1,295 Canadian families with children assessed longitudinally from 17 months to age 6 on their levels of separation anxiety. Separation anxiety was measured during face-to-face interviews with the mothers. Maternal labor force participation, financial status, and risk factors were measured at 5 months. Results adjusted for propensity scores and for sample weight revealed that children of working mothers, despite having sufficient income (n = 245, 18.9%), were at higher risk of separation anxiety during early childhood. In contrast, maternity leave was most beneficial for children's separation anxiety, whether they were in a family with sufficient income (n = 950, 73.4%) or temporary low income (n = 100, 7.7%). Children of mothers in maternity leave were at risk of heightened separation anxiety only if they experienced chronic economic hardship. Therefore, maternity leave uptake could help prevent the development of separation anxiety. Providing families with opportunity to care for the baby as their main occupation during this sensitive developmental period could help improve children's mental health.

Developmental Epidemiology of Pediatric Anxiety Disorders.

This review summarizes the developmental epidemiology of childhood and adolescent anxiety disorders. It discusses the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, sex differences, longitudinal course, and stability of anxiety disorders in addition to recurrence and remission. The trajectory of anxiety disorders-whether homotypic (ie, the same anxiety disorder persists over time) or heterotypic (ie, an anxiety disorder shifts to a different diagnosis over time) is discussed with regard to social, generalized, and separation anxiety disorders as well as specific phobia, and panic disorder. Finally, strategies for early recognition, prevention, and treatment of disorders are discussed.

To Leave is to Die a Little: Assessing the Symptom Structure of Separation Anxiety Disorder in Left-Behind Emerging Adults.

The literature on separation anxiety disorder (SAD) presented two contentious issues relating to its assessment. First, studies are scarce in assessing the symptom structure of DSM-5 SAD among the adult population. Second, the accuracy in assessing the severity of SAD through measuring the intensity of disturbance and the frequency of occurrence of symptoms is yet to be studied. To address these limitations, the present study aimed to: (1) examine the latent factor structure of the newly developed separation anxiety disorder symptom severity inventory (SADSSI); (2) evaluate the necessity of using frequency or intensity formats through comparison of differences in the latent level; and (3) investigate SAD latent class analysis. Utilizing 425 left-behind emerging adults (LBA), the findings showed that a general factor with two dimensions (i.e., response formats) measuring frequency and intensity symptom severity separately has excellent fit and good reliability. Finally, the latent class analysis yielded a three-class solution best fitting to the data. Overall, the data provided evidence for the psychometric soundness of SADSSI as an assessment tool for separation anxiety symptoms among LBA.

The relationship of separation anxiety with the age of onset of panic disorder.

AIM: This study aimed to investigate whether separation anxiety (SA) constitutes a dimension related to age at onset of panic disorder (PD), in homogeneous subgroups of outpatients with PD, based on their age of onset and symptom severity. METHODS: A sample of 232 outpatients with PD was assessed with the Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS) and the Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS) for functional impairments. Separation anxiety was evaluated using structured interviews and questionnaires. We applied a K-Means Cluster Analysis based on the standardized "PD age of onset" and "the PDSS total score" to identify distinct but homogeneous groups. RESULTS: We identified three groups of patients: group 1 ("PD early onset/severe", N = 97, 42%, onset 23.2 ± 6.7 years), group 2 ("PD early onset/not severe", N = 76, 33%, onset 23.4 ± 6.0 years) and group 3 ("PD adult onset/not severe", N = 59, 25%, onset 42.8 ± 7.0 years). Patients with early onset/severe PD had significantly higher scores on all SA measures than PD late-onset/not severe. Regression analyses showed that SA scores, but not PDSS scores, were predictive of impairment in SDS work/school, social life, and family functioning domains. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate a significant relationship between SA and PD with an earlier age of onset and an impact on individual functioning. This may have important implications for implementing preventive interventions targeting early risk factors for the subsequent onset of PD.

Separation anxiety and depression in caregivers of epileptic patients.

OBJECTIVE: Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder affecting both the patients and the caregivers psychologically. Caregivers of these patients might have to face several challenges throughout the course of the disease. This study examines the correlations between the separation anxiety and depression of caregivers of adult and child epileptic patients according to their relation to the patients (parent vs. partner). PATIENTS AND METHODS: 50 participants (caregivers of epileptic patients) were included. A sociodemographic form, Beck Depression (BDI) and Anxiety (BAI) Scales, and Adult Separation Anxiety (ASA) Scale were applied to the participants. RESULTS: 54% of the patients in the study had generalized seizures, whereas 46% had focal seizures. Our study has found the BAI of woman caregivers was higher compared to male caregivers. BAI and ASA were significantly higher for caregivers of patients with an illness duration lower than 5 years who were on multiple medications than for caregivers of patients who had an illness duration of more than 5 years who were on single medication (p<0.05). BDI, BAI and ASA scores were significantly higher in the generalized epilepsy group than in the focal epilepsy group (p<0.05). The ASA score was significantly higher in females than in males (p<0.05). The ASA score was significantly higher in the group with a low educational level than in the group with a high educational level (p<0.05) CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study inform healthcare professionals regarding the needs of caregivers of epilepsy patients, especially around emotional problems. Results of this study demonstrate significant association between epilepsy seizure type, and separation anxiety and depression. Our study is the first study focused on the separation anxiety of the caregivers of epileptic patients. Separation anxiety has a negative impact on the personal independence of the caregiver.

Mental Health Challenges Among First Nations Adolescents Living Off-Reserve in Ontario, Canada.

Limited data exist on the mental health challenges facing First Nations adolescents and the factors that modify these difficulties. The current study compared levels of common mental health challenges among 112 off-reserve First Nations and 3334 non-First Nations adolescents (12-17 years old) and examined the impact of maternal psychological distress on these mental health challenges. First Nations adolescents self-reported higher symptoms of conduct, oppositional-defiant, attention-deficit hyperactivity, major depressive, social phobia, generalized anxiety, and separation anxiety disorders and all associations remained statistically significant after adjusting for covariates. Moderation analyses found that increasing levels of maternal distress were associated more strongly with symptoms of oppositional defiant, attention-deficit hyperactivity, major depressive, and generalized anxiety disorders in First Nations adolescents. Future work aimed at improving the mental health of First Nations youth that focus on supporting these adolescents, and their mothers in particular, could result in substantial benefits.

Is adult separation anxiety associated with offspring risk for internalizing psychiatric problems?

BACKGROUND: Awareness of adult separation anxiety (ASA) is growing, but there is a dearth of knowledge about how separation anxiety aggregates in families. We examined the intergenerational associations of separation anxiety and other forms of internalizing problems in an American community sample of 515 predominantly white children and their parents. METHODS: Children's separation anxiety (CSA), depression, and other anxiety disorders were modeled as latent factors using diagnoses from interviews and symptom scores from questionnaires completed by mothers, fathers, and children when children were 9 years old and again 3 years later. Parents' separation anxiety was assessed via a questionnaire and parents' other anxiety, depressive, and substance use disorders were assessed with a diagnostic interview when children were nine. Relationships between parents' and children's psychopathology were modeled using s.e.m. RESULTS: Mothers' and fathers' ASA were related to all three psychopathology factors in offspring, over and above other parental disorders, in concurrent and prospective analyses. CSA was also related to maternal depression concurrently and prospectively and to maternal anxiety prospectively. Of all paternal psychopathology variables, only ASA was significantly related to children's psychopathology in either model. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that parental separation anxiety is an important, but non-specific, risk factor for children's psychopathology. The pathway by which this risk is transmitted may be genetic or environmental, and the observed statistical associations likely also encompass child-to-parent effects.

A LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF CHILDHOOD SEPARATION ANXIETY DISORDER AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR ADOLESCENT PSYCHOPATHOLOGY.

A prevalent psychiatric disorder called Child Separation Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is characterized by extreme discomfort when a child gets separated from their primary carers. While SAD's quick consequences on kids are well-researched, its long-term implications for teenage psychopathology have received less attention. This longitudinal study aims to ascertain the connection between child SAD and future psychopathological consequences in adolescents. 500 adolescents were chosen as part of the adolescent depression project, and at the age of 17, we retrospectively evaluated past and present mental disorders. At ages 25 and 32, they conducted diagnostic evaluations of these people during adolescence while they continued to monitor them. Based on childhood/adolescent assessments, the participants were split into different groups: SAD (n=34), other forms of Anxiety (n=76), a control group with combined psychiatric conditions (n=205), and mentally sound control group (n=185). Statistics were evaluated by hierarchical multiple logistic regression after various illnesses and pertinent demographic variables were considered. It implies that SAD has a high risk (80.2%) of being a significant risk indicator for the emergence of mental illnesses in young adults. This study highlights the importance of early SAD management and therapy and the possible advantages of treating SAD in lowering the likelihood of developing other mental health problems in adolescence. It also emphasizes the value of continuous studies to comprehend these connections and enhance the effects on SAD sufferers' psychological well-being.

Attachment Style and Its Relationships with Early Memories of Separation Anxiety and Adult Separation Anxiety Symptoms among Emerging Adults.

Emerging adulthood concerns the transition from adolescence to adulthood. It foresees the separation from the family and the creation of new significant relationships, whereby specific attachment styles might be triggered when facing these challenges. The present study investigates the influence of retrospective memories associated with childhood separation anxiety symptoms upon emerging adults' romantic avoidant vs. anxious attachment styles including adult separation anxiety symptoms as mediators. Age and gender were included as covariates. A community sample of N = 394 Italian emerging adults (Mage = 23.64, SD = 4.00, 70% females) completed self-report measures. The results showed that the participants presented a greater anxious attachment rather than an avoidant attachment style. Moreover, both adult separation anxiety and the memories of early separation anxiety were positively and significantly associated with anxious attachment and not with avoidant attachment. A mediation model conducted and focused on anxious attachment showed that, although not directly associated, child separation anxiety did show a significant positive indirect effect on anxious attachment as mediated by adult separation anxiety symptoms. Thus, the findings highlighted the influence of adult separation anxiety symptoms and retrospective childhood memories of separation anxiety upon anxious adult romantic attachment, yet not on avoidant attachment style. Clinical implications are discussed and suggestions for future research are provided.