Separation reactions

Assessment | Biopsychology | Comparative | Cognitive | Developmental | Language | Individual differences | Personality | Philosophy | Social |
Methods | Statistics | Clinical | Educational | Industrial | Professional items | World psychology |

Social psychology: Altruism · Attribution · Attitudes · Conformity · Discrimination · Groups · Interpersonal relations · Obedience · Prejudice · Norms · Perception · Index · Outline

---

Separation reactions are the thoughts, feelings and behaviors that follow when significant interpersonal relationships and intimate relationships are broken. Humans are social beings and their attachment with others entails the establishment of psychological bonds. When these are broken substantial adjustment may be required.

Feelings

Seperation can produce a wide range of feelings:

• Abandonment
• Anger
• Alienation
• Apathy
• Disappointment
• Distress]
• Emotional trauma
• Grief
• Homesickness
• Separation anxiety

Thoughts

• Rejection
• Relationship termination
• Withdrawal (defence mechanism)

Behavior

• Attachment behavior
• Social withdrawal

Clinical effects

• Depression (emotion)*Anaclitic depression
• Separation anxiety disorders

See also

• Attachment disorders
• Attachment theory
• Relationship termination
• Seperation individuation