title: Adult separation anxiety during pregnancy and its relationship to depression and anxiety.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The current study, the first of its kind, investigated the overlap between adult separation anxiety (ASA) and the symptoms of depression and anxiety in the context of pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women attending an antenatal clinic were screened using the Adult Separation Anxiety Scale (ASA-27). As most perinatal clinics use the Edinburgh Depression Scale (EDS), this study explored the relationship between ASA and the anxiety and depression symptoms by comparing the ASA-27 scores with the scores on the EDS. A subsample including both screen positives and screen negatives on ASA-27 was clinically interviewed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women with ASA were significantly more likely to be screened positive for depression (EDS total score) and anxiety (EDS-3A anxiety subscale) than those without ASA. The diagnosis of ASA disorder in this population had only a moderate but significant association with the diagnoses of generalized anxiety disorder [χ2 (1) = 25.9, P = 0.000, Φ = 0.443] and major depression [χ2 (1) = 16, P = 0.000, Φ = 0.348] made using the MINI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adult separation anxiety warrants independent assessment in order to tailor appropriate interventions for the individual subtypes of anxiety in the perinatal period.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. v.eapen@unsw.edu.au
authors.forename: Valsamma
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Eapen
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Johnston
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Apler
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rees
authors.forename: Derrick M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Silove
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D001010:Anxiety, Separation / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult