(PS2-41) Separation Anxiety Symptoms Among Undergraduate Students

Background: Despite the recognition in the DSM-5 that separation anxiety symptoms can occur beyond childhood, adult separation anxiety disorder (ASAD) remains understudied. Previous studies have suggested that the lifetime community prevalence of ASAD may be as high as 6.6%. Moreover, ASAD is associated with impaired psychosocial functioning and high comorbidity with other psychological disorders. Despite its prevalence, limited research exists on ASAD among high-risk, non-clinical populations, such as college students who may encounter multiple salient stressors related to separation. This study aims to fill this gap by examining the prevalence and correlates of ASAD in a diverse college student population.

Method: Participants were undergraduate students (N=964) at a large university in the United States who completed an online survey in exchange for research participation credits in their undergraduate psychology classes. The study was approved by the local Institutional Review Board (IRB), and participants provided informed consent. Symptoms of ASAD were assessed with the Adult Separation Anxiety Symptom Questionnaire (ASA-27), a reliable and validated measure of this construct. The prevalence of separation anxiety symptoms was quantified using the previously established clinical cut score (= 17) on this measure. Participants also reported on their demographics and completed other self-report questionnaires, including measures of quality of life (QLESQ), attachment style (Experiences in Close Relationships Scale; ECRS), and depression, anxiety, and stress (DASS-21).

Results: Our results showed that 24.8% of the sample surpassed the clinical threshold for ASAD. Of these, 33.2% reported that their symptoms started in adulthood (≥18 years old). ASAD was found to be more common in female (27.3%) than male students (8.0%), chi-square=25.53, p < .001, but did not differ across other demographics, including age, year in school, race-ethnicity, whether they were international students, or GPA. Compared to those without ASAD, individuals in the ASAD group had significantly lower quality of life (p < .001), and higher levels of depression (p < .001), anxiety (p < .001), and stress (p < .001) symptoms. On the ECRS, the groups did not differ in attachment avoidance (p =.25), but the ASAD group had significantly higher attachment anxiety (p < .001).

Discussion: This study suggests that the prevalence of ASAD may be significantly higher among college students than among the general population, indicating the need for more research and clinical attention to these symptoms. Transitioning to college may provoke new symptoms of separation anxiety in some individuals while exacerbating symptoms for those who experienced separation anxiety in childhood. We also found that individuals with separation anxiety exhibited elevations in other distress symptoms (depression, anxiety, and stress), and lower quality of life, calling for future clinical attention to alleviate these symptoms. Future studies utilizing diagnostic interviews are needed to confirm the prevalence of ASAD suggested by this study, as well as to test treatments.