title: Subpopulations of early separation anxiety: relevance to risk of adult anxiety disorders.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The present study aims to examine whether discrete subpopulations can be identified according to their levels of early separation anxiety (SA), and if so, whether such a typology of SA influences risk to particular adult anxiety disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mixture analysis was applied to early SA scores provided retrospectively by a composite group (n=1800) of adult community and patient samples. The distribution of adult anxiety diagnoses across the SA categories was assessed in a community (n=136) and a clinic (n=74) sample.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mixture analysis yielded two subpopulations according to SA scores. Odds ratios for assignment to the high SA category for the various anxiety disorders ranged from 3.6 to 6.7. A logistic regression analysis revealed that when comorbidity was taken into account, the panic disorder-agoraphobia (PD-Ag) group was the only anxiety disorder to be associated with the high SA category.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Assignment to a high early SA category appears to increase risk to adult anxiety disorders, particularly PD-Ag. Several possible pathways may account for such a risk including the persistence of separation anxiety disorder into adulthood.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Assessment of early SA was made using a retrospective measure and the samples included groups which were known to have high SA scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Only a subpopulation of anxiety sufferers may have elevated levels of SA. Identification of this group may be important for early detection and intervention.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry Research and Teaching Unit, South Western Sydney Area Health Service, Liverpool, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Manicavasagar
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Silove
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hadzi-Pavlovic
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000379:Agoraphobia / Q000453:epidemiology; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001010:Anxiety, Separation / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012494:Sampling Studies