Exploring Overlooked Anxiety Disorders: A Study on the Prevalence of Adult Separation Anxiety Disorder and Specific Phobia in the General Population

Abstract

Objective: The current study aimed to investigate the prevalence of adult separation anxiety disorder and specific phobia in the general population, along with identifying the factors associated with these two disorders. Material and Method: The study was carried out in the Selçuklu district, encompassing 28 of the 34 family health centers selected through a simple random sampling method. The study sample included 1,218 individuals over 18, chosen using a systematic sampling approach by skipping one resident from each neighborhood covered by the family health unit. After collecting the sociodemographic data, face-to-face diagnostic interviews were performed using the Structured Clinical Interviews for Separation Anxiety Symptoms (SCI-SAS) for ASAD and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5) for specific phobia assessment. Results: The study revealed that the lifetime prevalence of ASAD was 5.9%, with a point prevalence of 1.5%, while the lifetime prevalence of specific phobia was 11.3%. The application rates for the treatment of both disorders were very low and clinicians demonstrated limited recognition of ASAD. ASAD was correlated with female gender, low income, childhood traumatic experiences, migraine presence, and family history of serious illness. On the other hand, specific phobia was associated with female gender and family history of psychiatric disease. Conclusion: Despite the high prevalence of both disorders, the alarming rates of clinical recognition and treatment underscore the need to develop health policies and awareness programs aimed at promoting early diagnosis and treatment.