Evidence suggests that separation anxiety in childhood may be associated with an increased risk of developing psychiatric disorders in adulthood. Results of a systematic analysis published in The American Journal of Psychiatry suggest that childhood separation anxiety disorder significantly increases the risk of future panic disorder and anxiety disorders. To assess the association between childhood separation anxiety disorder and future psychopathology, the investigators conducted a systematic analysis of relevant studies published in PubMed, PsycINFO and Embase in December 2011, including case-control, prospective and retrospective cohort studies. Pooled odds ratios were calculated in a random-effects model for the affected factors. A total of 25 studies were eligible for enrollment (14,855 participants in total). A systematic analysis of 20 of these studies found that children with separation anxiety disorder were more likely to develop panic disorder in the future (OR=3.45,95% CI=2.37C5.03). Analysis of five studies indicated that diagnosed separation anxiety disorder in childhood increased the risk of developing future anxiety disorders (OR=2.19,95% CI=1.40C3.42). After correction for publication bias, analyses of 14 studies showed that childhood separation anxiety disorder did not increase the risk of future depression (OR=1.06,95% CI=0.78C1.45); analyses of 5 studies showed that childhood separation anxiety disorder did not increase the risk of substance use disorder (OR=1.27,95% CI=0.80 C2.03). Subgroup analyses were conducted and revealed that differences in control group and sample type significantly affected the magnitude of the ratio. The investigators argued that these results support the conceptual model of developmental psychopathology of anxiety disorders.