Investigation of the frequency of accompanying adult separation anxiety disorder in patients diagnosed with general anxiety disorder, and investigation of its relationship with childhood traumatic experiences and adult attachment styles

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a condition that is characterized with focusing on specific elements such as object, location, organ, obsessive thought, and a general psychological and physiological stress. Separation anxiety (SA) is the state of anxiety experienced by a person in case of separation or expectation of separation from an object that is attached. It has been reported that patients diagnosed with separation anxiety disorder (SAD) in childhood experience panic attacks when they experience real separation or anxiety in adulthood, and traumas and stress conditions during this period also play a role in the development. In our study, we aimed to examine the frequency of adult SAD (ASAD) comorbidity in patients followed up with a diagnosis of GAD, and the relationship between the presence of childhood traumatic experiences and the diagnosis of SAD and adult attachment styles. A total of 71 patients and 72 healthy people were included in our study. Data were recorded from the results sociodemographic and clinical data form, SA Symptom Inventory, Adult Separation Anxiety Questionnaire, Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory II, Childhood Psychological Trauma Scale and Beck Anxiety Scale to the participants. The survey results were evaluated in terms of differences between the patient and control group participants and ASAD (+) and ASAD (-) participants, and the correlations of the survey results were examined. Poor socioeconomic status and being diagnosed with SAD was significantly associated. While it was observed that the participants in the patient group were more exposed to traumatic events caused by people outside the family, no difference was observed between ASAD (+) and ASAD (-) participants in terms of encountering traumatic events caused by people outside the family. The rate of having disturbing memories about their childhood was found to be higher in participants in the control group and ASAD (+) individuals. While most scale scores of the patient group were found to be significantly higher, most of the survey scores of ASAD (+) participants were found to be significantly higher even in the control group. Most of the survey results were correlated. In conclusion, individuals may show symptoms of SAD despite not being diagnosed with ASAD. Different factors such as childhood traumas and socioeconomic status are important risk factors for the development of ASAD