Separation anxiety and actual separation experiences during childhood in patients with panic disorder.

OBJECTIVE

The association between separation anxiety in childhood and actual separation experiences during childhood has not yet been investigated in patients with panic disorder.

METHODS

In 115 patients with panic disorder with or without agoraphobia and in 124 control subjects without a history of psychiatric illness, we assessed separation anxiety during childhood, retrospectively, using DSM-IV and ICD-10 criteria and the Separation Anxiety Symptom Inventory (SASI). In addition, actual separation experiences from age 0 to 15 years were assessed, retrospectively.

RESULTS

A total of 22.6% of the patients and 4.8% of the control subjects fulfilled both DSM-IV and ICD-10 criteria for childhood separation anxiety (chi 2 = 11.8; P < 0.0001). Further, 57.4% of the patients and 37.9% of the control subjects reported actual separation experiences during their childhood (chi 2 = 9.09, P < 0.003). Separation anxiety and actual separation experiences, however, were independent of each other.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that separation anxiety during childhood is not a consequence of actual traumatic separation experiences in panic disorder patients.