Adult separation anxiety in pregnancy: how common is it?
The present study, the first to examine adult separation anxiety (ASA) in the context of pregnancy, found that ASA is a common yet unrecognized condition. Women attending an antenatal clinic were evaluated for the presence of ASA. A quarter of the women reached an established symptom threshold for ASA, with significantly more primigravida women (P = 0.003) identified as having the problem. There were no significant differences in the sociodemographic characteristics between those with and without ASA. Around one-third acknowledged that ASA was causing significant impairment in day-to-day functioning, suggesting the clinical importance of the pattern. Further research is indicated to explore this clinical entity and its impact on maternal and infant psychosocial wellbeing.
School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney.
Valsamma
V
Eapen
Derrick M
DM
Silove
Deborah
D
Johnston
Alex
A
Apler
Susan
S
Rees