Maternal separation anxiety influences maternal behavior, attitudes about employment, and employment decisions made by mothers. This study examined the relationship between maternal separation anxiety and the number of hours a child was in substitute care. The sample consisted of 44 mothers and their children who ranged in age from 12 to 41 months…

Although children who live in environments of violence and poverty are frequently the subjects of psychoanalysis, much less attention is given to the fears and anxieties of children from more fortunate families. In the case of one San Francisco Bay Area school, the two head teachers in the kindergarten class were going to be absent for two…

A study examined how maternal separation anxiety contributes to the mother's departure actions and how those behaviors affect the child during separation. Subjects were 40 mothers and their toddlers, age 15 to 24 months, who were observed before and during separation. After completing the Maternal Separation Anxiety Questionnaire, mothers were…

Investigated were effects of maternal work status and parity on specific outcomes in maternal psychology and physiology and infant physiology. In addition, the study design and the usefulness of instruments were evaluated, and the feasibility of subject recruitment and retention was assessed. Subjects were 20 women between 18 and 35 years of age…

This study was designed to identify some of the individual physical features of the mother that promote adaptive responding of 2-year-old children in a novel environment. Previous studies have suggested that any ambiguous stimulus configuration might be effective if the child can be led to perceive it as his mother. After being separated from…

Examined differences in self-reported psychiatric symptomatology on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 according to the Adult Attachment Interview in first-time mothers from a high-risk poverty sample. Different symptom patterns were consistent with adult attachment status as an index of self-representation and as a set of…

Discusses high school seniors' apathy and unruliness prior to graduation and suggests ways to combat these behaviors. Profiles an independent study program adopted by one school as a remedy and which expanded seniors' perceptions of how they learn while uniting the senior class in the latter months of school. (RJM)

Examined the association between maternal depression, maternal separation anxiety, social support, and maternal involvement in the day-care center among 54 upper-income mothers and their infants. Found that higher levels of maternal involvement in day care were associated with lower levels of maternal depression. (MDM)

A cross-national comparison of infant behavior in the Strange Situation was designed to determine whether preseparation episodes made any difference in attachment classifications and whether infant behavior before separation from mother was the same in different countries. Infants in different countries made similar primary appraisals of the…

Examined mothers' and fathers' responses on the Maternal Separation Anxiety Scale (MSAS) and ability of parental characteristics to predict parents' responses. Found that mothers reported greater separation anxiety and employment-related separation concerns and more positive perceptions of separation effects than fathers. Relations between…

Discusses ways child caregivers can help the children they care for cope with separation anxiety by preparing for transitions. Includes suggestions for preparing the classroom, helping children and parents become comfortable in the classroom, and using rituals to make transitions easier for children and parents at the beginning and the end of the…

Excitement is in the air as a new school year gets underway! It is up to the early childhood program teacher to set the stage for a wonderful year of learning and exploration. And just how is that done? How can one prepare a classroom that is ready to welcome children with open arms? How does one invite families into one's program in a way that is…

Objective: We investigated the role of genetic and environmental factors in the developmental association among symptoms of eating disorders, depression, and anxiety syndromes in 8-13-year-old and 14-17-year-old twin girls. Methods: Multivariate genetic models were fitted to child-reported longitudinal symptom data gathered from clinical interview…

Children's successful adjustment to child care involves effectively managing their separation from parents. Persistent problems with separation interfere with other relationships and with learning opportunities. The authors of this article developed a tool that caregivers can use to identify adjustment difficulties in young children who are …

This study examined techniques which facilitate children's separation from their mothers and their move into a novel situation. Subjects were 32 male and 32 female 40- to 48-month-old children. Some children were visited in their homes the night before the experiment. Subjects remained with their mothers in a waiting room for 10 minutes. A…