PILOT STUDY OF HISPANIC MOTHERS AND MATERNAL SEPARATION ANXIETY

In this pilot study the maternal separation anxiety of 49 mothers of primarily Mexican descent was examined. A hierarchical multiple regression was conducted to determine if predictors of maternal separation anxiety in Euro-American mothers would also predict maternal separation anxiety in Hispanic mothers. Results identified maternal education, marital status, and total number of children as predictors. Maternal age produced a significant increment when added to the model. Neither infant age nor hours mothers spent attending school or in paid employment predicted maternal separation anxiety. Additionally, adolescents reported greater maternal separation anxiety when separated from their infants than did adult mothers. Results of this pilot study indicated some consistency with findings of previous research with Euro-American participants. Suggestions for future research are discussed.