https://doi.org/10.4081/ripppo.2021.506
Separation anxiety in a community sample of Italian emerging adults and its relationship with dimensions of borderline personality
Submitted: November 10, 2020
Accepted: February 16, 2021
Published: April 2, 2021
Accepted: February 16, 2021
Abstract Views: 12460
PDF: 570
HTML: 79
HTML: 79
Publisher's note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Authors
Research studies focusing on separation anxiety and its relation with other measures of anxiety and personality-relevant variables in community samples are still scarce. This study aimed to describe in a dimensional perspective the relationship between separation anxiety symptoms, anxiety levels, and personality traits in a community sample of Italian emerging adults. A sample of 260 college students [mean age (Mage)=21.22, standard deviation (SD)=1.91, 79.6% females] completed the adult separation anxiety questionnaire-27 (ASA-27), the state and trait anxiety inventory-Y (STAI-Y), and the personality assessment inventory borderline scale (PAI-BOR). ASA-27 was significantly and positively correlated with the PAI borderline scale. The mediation model showed that ASA-27 influenced the PAI-BOR through trait anxiety. Clinical implications of the study for psychotherapy research are discussed.
American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed., text revision). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text revision). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596
Arnett, J. J. (1997). Young people’s conceptions of the transition to adulthood. Youth and Society, 29, 1-23.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0044118X97029001001
Arnett, J. J. (2000). Emerging adulthood a theory of development from the late teens through the twenties. American Psychologist, 55(5), 469-480.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.5.469
Arnett, J. J. (2004). Emerging adulthood: the winding road from the late teens through the twenties. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Arnett, J. J. (2006). The psychology of emerging adulthood: what is known, and what remains to be known? In J.J. Arnett & J.L. Tanner (Eds.), Emerging adults in America: coming of age in the 21st century (pp. 303-330). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association Book.
Arnett, J. J., & Galambos, N. L. (2003). Culture and conceptions of adulthood. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, (100), 91-98. doi:10.1002/cd.77.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/cd.77
Arnett, J. J., & Tanner, J. L. (2006). Emerging adults in America: coming of age in the 21st century. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195309379.001.0001
Bayran, N., & Bilgel, N. (2008). The prevalence and socio-demographic correlations of depression, anxiety and stress among a group of university students. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 43, 667-672. doi:10.1007/s00127-008-0345-x.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-008-0345-x
Biasi, V., Cerutti, R., Mallia, L., Menozzi, F., Patrizi, N., & Violani, C. (2017). (Mal)adaptive psychological functioning of students utilizing University Counseling Services. Frontiers in Psychology, 8(403), 1-8. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00403.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00403
Bögels, S. M, Knappe, S., & Clark, L. A. (2013). Adult separation anxiety disorder in DSM-5. Clinical Psychology Review, 33, 663-674.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2013.03.006
Chanene, A. M., & McCutcheon, L. (2013). Prevention and early intervention for borderline personality disorder: current status and recent evidence. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 202, s24-s29. doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.112.119180.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.112.119180
Cohen, J. (1992). Statistical power analysis. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 1 (3), 98-101.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8721.ep10768783
Cordeiro, P. M., Paixao, M. P., Lens, W., Lacante, M. & Luyckx, K. (2016). Parenting style, identity development, and adjustment in carrer transitions: the mediating role of psychological needs. Journal of Carrer Development, 1-15. doi:10.1177/0894845316672742.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0894845316672742
Cramer, P. (2004). Identity change in adulthood: the contribution of defense mechanisms and life experiences. Journal of Research in Personality, 38(3), 280-316.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0092-6566(03)00070-9
de Moor, S. M., Distel, M. A., Trull, T. J., & Boomsma, D. I. (2009). Assessment of borderline personality features in population samples: is the personality assessment inventory-borderline features scale measurement invariant across sex and age? Psychological Assessment, 21(1),125-130. doi:10.1037/a0014502.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/a0014502
Ehrenreich, J. T., Santucci, L. C., & Weiner, C. L. (2008). Separation anxiety disorder in youth: phenomenology, assessment, and treatment. Behavioral Psychology/Psicologìa Conductual, 16(3), 389-412. doi::10.1901/jaba.2008.16-389.
ISTAT. (2012). Data from the Italian Institute of Statistics. Retrieved from: http://dati.istat.it/Index.aspx
ISTAT. (2017). Data from the Italian Institute of Statistics. Retrieved from: http://dati.istat.it/Index.aspx
ISTAT. (2018). Data from the Italian Institute of Statistics. Retrieved from: http://dati.istat.it/Index.aspx
Jackson, K. M., Sher, K. J., Gotham, H. J., & Wood, P. K. (2001). Transitioning into and out of large effect drinking in young adulthood. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 110, 378-391.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.110.3.378
Keyes, C., Eisenberg, D., Perry, G., Dube, S., Kroenke, K., & Dhingra, S. (2012). The relationship of level of positive mental health with current mental disorders in predicting suicidal behavior and academic impairment in college students. Journal of American College Health, 60, 126-133. doi:10.1080/07448481.2011.608393.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2011.608393
Kroger, J., Martinussen, M., & Marcia, J. E. (2010). Identity status change during adolescence and young adulthood: a meta-analysis. Journal of Adolescence, 33(5), 683-98.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2009.11.002
Lewinsohn, P. M., Rohde, P., Seeley, J. R., Klein, D. N., & Gotlib, I. H. (2003). Psychosocial functioning of young adults who have experienced and recovered from major depressive disorder during adolescence. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 112(3), 353-63.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.112.3.353
Mabilia, D., Di Riso, D., Lis, A., & Bobbio, A. (2019). A prediction model for separation anxiety: the role of attachment styles and internalizing symptoms in Italian young adults. Journal of Adult Development, 1-9.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-019-09327-y
Manicavasagar, V., Silove, D., Curtis, J., & Wagner, R. (2000). Continuities of separation anxiety from early life into adulthood. Journal of Anxiety Disorder, 14(1), 1-18.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0887-6185(99)00029-8
Manicavasagar, V., Silove, D., Hadzi-Pavlovic, D. (1998). Subpopulations of early separation anxiety: relevance to risk of adult anxiety disorders. Journal of Affective Disorders, 48(2-3), 181-190.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0165-0327(97)00170-5
Manicavasagar, V., Silove, D., Wagner, R., & Drobny, J. (2003). A self-report questionnaire for measuring separation anxiety in adulthood. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 44(2), 146-153.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1053/comp.2003.50024
McGorry, P., & van Os, J. (2013). Redeeming diagnosis in psychiatry: timing versus specificity. The Lancet, 381(9863), 343-345. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(12)61268-9.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(12)61268-9
Menozzi, F., Gizzi, N., Tucci, M. T., Patrizi, N., & Mosca, M. (2016). Emotional dysregulation: the clinical intervention of Psychodynamic University Counselling. Journal of Education, Cultural and Psychologial Studies, 14, 169-182. doi:10.7358/ecps-2016-014meno.
Möller, E. L., & Bögels, S. M. (2016). The DSM‐5 dimensional anxiety scales in a Dutch non‐clinical sample: psychometric properties including the adult separation anxiety disorder scale. International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research, 25(3), 232-9.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/mpr.1515
Morey, L. C. (1991). Personality assessment inventory (pp. 11-46). Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.
Morey, L. C. (2007). Personality assessment inventory (PAI): professional manual (2nd ed.). Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.
Mowbray, C. T., Megivern, D., Mandiberg, J. M., Strauss, S., Stein, C. H., & Collins, K. (2006). Campus mental health services: recommendations for change. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 76, 226-237. doi:10.1037/0002-9432.76.2.226.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0002-9432.76.2.226
Mroczkowski, M., Goes, F. S., Grados, M., J. Bienvenu, O., & Greenberg, B. (2016). Dependent personality, separation anxiety disorder and other anxiety disorders in OCD. Personality and Mental Health, 10, 22-28.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/pmh.1321
Pignolo, C., Di Nuovo, S., Fulcheri, M., Lis, A., Mazzeschi, C., & Zennaro, A. (2018). Psychometric properties of the Italian version of the personality assessment inventory (PAI). Psychological Assessment, 30(9), 1226-1236.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0000560
Preacher, K. J. & Hayes, A. F. (2008). Asymptotic and resampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models. Behavior Research Methods 40(3), 879-91.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BRM.40.3.879
Richardson, G. P. (2011). Reflections on the foundations of system dynamics. System Dynamics Review, 27(3), 219-243.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/sdr.462
Santorelli, N. T. (2010). Developmental antecedents of symptoms of adult separation anxiety in young adult college students. Dissertation, Georgia State University. https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/psych_diss/75.
Scabini, E., & Cigoli, V. (2000). Il famigliare. Legami, simboli e transizioni (p. 142). Milano: Raffaello Cortina Editore.
Schwartz, S. J., Cote, J. & Arnett, J. J. (2005). Identity and Agency in Emerging Adulthood: Two Developmental Routes in the Individualization Process. Youth & Society, 37(6), 201-229.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0044118X05275965
Seligman, L. D., & Wuyek, L. A. (2007). Correlates of separation anxiety symptoms among first-semester college students: an exploratory study. Journal of Psychology, 141(2), 135-45.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3200/JRLP.141.2.135-146
Shear, K., Jin, R., Ruscio, A. M., Walters, E. E., & Kessler, R. C. (2006). Prevalence and correlates of estimated DSM-IV child and adult separation anxiety disorder in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. American Journal of Psychiatry, 163(6), 1074-83.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.2006.163.6.1074
Silove, D., Alonso, J., Bromet, E., Gruber, M., Sampson, N., Scott, K., Andrade, L., Benjet, C., Caldas de Almeida, J. M., De Girolamo, G., de Jonge, P., Demyttenaere, K., Fiestas, F., Florescu, S., Gureje, O., He, Y., Karam, E., Lepine, J. P., Murphy, S., Villa-Posada, J., Zarkov, Z., & Kessler, R.C. (2015). Pediatric-onset and adult-onset separation anxiety disorder across countries in the world mental health survey. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 172(7), 647-56.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2015.14091185
Silove, D., Claire, L. M., Wagner, R., Manicavasagar, V., & Rees, S. (2010). The prevalence and correlates of adult separation anxiety disorder in an anxiety clinic. BMC Psychiatry, 10(21), 1-7.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-244X-10-21
Silove, D., Manicavasagar, V., & Pini, S. (2016). Can separation anxiety disorder escape its attachment to childhood? Journal of World Psychiatry, 15(2), 113-115.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20336
Skodol, A. E., Oldham, J. M., Bender, D. S., Dyck, I. R., Stout, R. L., Morey, L. C., Shea, M. T., Zanarini, M. C., Sanislow, C. A., Grilo, C. M., McGlashan, T. H., & Gunderson, J. G. (2005). Dimensional representations of DSM-IV personality disorders: relationships to functional impairment. American Journal of Psychiatry, 162(10), 1919-25.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.162.10.1919
Spielberger, C. D., Gorsuch, R. L., Lushene, R., Vagg, P. R., & Jacobs, G. A. (1983). Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Form Y). Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.
Spielberger, C. D., Pedrabissi, L., & Santinello, M. (2012). STAI state-trait anxiety inventory forma Y: manuale. Firenze: Giunti O.S. Organizzazioni speciali.
Strawn, J. R., & Dobson, E. T. (2017). Individuation for a DSM‐5 disorder: adult separation anxiety. Depression and Anxiety, 34(12), 1082-1084.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/da.22703
Tanner, J. L. (2006). Recentering during emerging adulthood: A critical turning point in life span human development. In J. J. Arnett & J. L. Tanner (Eds.), Emerging adults in America: coming of age in the 21st century (pp. 21-55). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Wilhelm, K., Boyce, P., & Brownhill, S. (2004). The relationship between interpersonal sensitivity, anxiety disorders and major depression. Journal of Affect Disorder, 79(1-3), 33-41.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0165-0327(02)00069-1
How to Cite
Bassi, G., Mancinelli, E., Di Riso, D., Lis, A., & Salcuni, S. (2021). Separation anxiety in a community sample of Italian emerging adults and its relationship with dimensions of borderline personality. Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome, 24(1). https://doi.org/10.4081/ripppo.2021.506
PAGEPress has chosen to apply the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) to all manuscripts to be published.
Similar Articles
- Shirzad Babaei, Mahmood Dehghani, Fahimeh Fathali Lavasani, Ahmad Ashouri, Leila Mohamadi, The effectiveness of short-term dynamic/interpersonal group therapy on perfectionism; assessment of anxiety, depression and interpersonal problems , Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome: Vol. 25 No. 3 (2022): SPECIAL ISSUE: "Group psychotherapy: between settled benchmarks and new horizons"
- Jordan Bate, Angelica Tsakas, Facilitative interpersonal skills are relevant in child therapy too, so why don’t we measure them? , Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome: Vol. 25 No. 1 (2022)
- Gaia Albano, Rubinia Celeste Bonfanti, Salvatore Gullo, Laura Salerno, Gianluca Lo Coco, The psychological impact of COVID-19 on people suffering from dysfunctional eating behaviours: a linguistic analysis of the contents shared in an online community during the lockdown , Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome: Vol. 24 No. 3 (2021)
- Marianna Liotti, Alice Fiorini Bincoletto, Fabiola Bizzi, Marta Tironi, Simone Charpentier Mora, Donatella Cavanna, Guido Giovanardi, Elliot Jurist, Anna Maria Speranza, Vittorio Lingiardi, Annalisa Tanzilli, The catcher in the mind: validation of the brief-mentalized affectivity scale for adolescents in the Italian population , Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome: Vol. 26 No. 3 (2023)
- Cristina Marogna, Chiara Masaro, Vincenzo Calvo, Simona Ghedin, Floriana Caccamo, The extended unconscious group field and metabolization of pandemic experience: dreaming together to keep cohesion alive , Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome: Vol. 25 No. 3 (2022): SPECIAL ISSUE: "Group psychotherapy: between settled benchmarks and new horizons"
- Elena Ierardi, Marta Bottini, Emanuele Preti, Rossella Di Pierro, Fabio Madeddu, Cristina Riva Crugnola, Attachment styles, mental health, and trauma during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic in an Italian adult population , Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome: Vol. 26 No. 3 (2023)
- Lidia Borghi, Federica Bonazza, Giulia Lamiani, Alessandro Musetti, Tommaso Manari, Maria Filosa, Maria C. Quattropani, Vittorio Lenzo, Maria Francesca Freda, Daniela Lemmo, Emanuela Saita, Roberto Cattivelli, Gianluca Castelnuovo, Elena Vegni, Christian Franceschini, Dreaming during lockdown: a quali-quantitative analysis of the Italian population dreams during the first COVID-19 pandemic wave , Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome: Vol. 24 No. 2 (2021): SPECIAL ISSUE "Working on dreams, from psychotherapy to neuroscience"
- Lindsey Myers, Howard Steele, Miriam Steele, Anne Murphy, Exploring maternal reflective functioning as a predictor of mother-child dyadic behaviour over time in a clinical context , Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome: Vol. 25 No. 1 (2022)
- Alice Fiorini Bincoletto, Ludovica Zanini, Grazia Fernanda Spitoni, Vittorio Lingiardi, Negative and positive ageism in an Italian sample: how ageist beliefs relate to epistemic trust, psychological distress, and well-being , Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome: Vol. 26 No. 2 (2023)
- Marjolein M. W. Koementas-de Vos, Lucas C. Colleye, Bea Tiemens, Fabiana Engelsbel, Kim de Jong, Cilia L. M. Witteman, M. Annet Nugter, The feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of a feedback-informed group treatment (FIGT) tool for patients with anxiety or depressive disorders , Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome: Vol. 25 No. 3 (2022): SPECIAL ISSUE: "Group psychotherapy: between settled benchmarks and new horizons"
<< < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 > >>
You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.
