Prevalence and Contributing Factors of Separation Anxiety Among Preschool Children and Their Parents

Objective: This study aims to examine the prevalence of separation anxiety in preschool children and their parents, as well as the factors influencing it.Method: In total, 667 participants were included. Data were collected using Family APGAR, Adult Separation Anxiety Questionnaire, Separation Anxiety Symptom Inventory, and Preschool Anxiety Scale-Separation Anxiety Subscale. As the scale data did not have a normal distribution, non-parametric tests were employed for statistical analysis.Results: Separation anxiety symptoms were detected in 12% of children (10.5% among girls and 13.7% among boys). A significant correlation was determined between children’s separation anxiety and maternal separation anxiety, whereas no such relationship was observed with fathers. Symptoms were present in 46% of parents, with women being twice as likely to experience separation anxiety as men. While children’s separation anxiety was not related with gender, maternal separation anxiety was linked to early maternal return to work, sleeping separately from parents, eating meals independently, and having a dysfunctional family member. Parental separation anxiety was not related with age, education level, employment status, or the presence of health problems but was significantly related with gender, childhood and adolescent separation anxiety symptoms, and having a dysfunctional family member.Conclusions: Identifying the problem areas of children and parents experiencing separation anxiety during the preschool period, the present study highlights the importance of interventions targeting both children and families. The findings are expected to guide primary healthcare providers in addressing separation anxiety.