Attachment, autonomy, and multifinality in adolescent internalizing and risky behavioral symptoms

Abstract

A diathesis-stress interaction model is used to describe multifinality in adolescent internalizing and risky behavioral outcomes. Problematic behavior associated with adolescent insecure preoccupation (a diathesis) was expected to interact with the level of maternal autonomous discourse (a stressor) to predict specific adolescent outcomes. Assessments of adolescent preoccupied attachment organization, observations of maternal displays of autonomy in mother-adolescent interactions, and adolescent reports of internalizing symptoms and risky behaviors were obtained at age 16. As predicted, maternal autonomy in the mother-adolescent relationship helped to explain multifinality in dysfunctional symptoms among preoccupied adolescents. Adolescent preoccupation was more strongly linked to internalizing behavior when mothers demonstrated low levels of autonomy in interactions with their adolescents and more strongly linked to risky behavior when mothers displayed extremely high levels of autonomy. Implications for autonomy processes in increasing our understanding of how adolescent insecure-preoccupation relates to profiles of specific problems during adolescence are discussed as is the importance of exploring the role of attachment in different contexts.

A Developmental Psychopathology Framework of the Psychosocial Needs of Children Orphaned by HIV

“…Failure by caregivers to recognize and address poor social adjustment and associated mental symptoms will aggravate the child's psychological problems. In particular, impersonal and distant involvement of adults does not support the intimate attachment relationship thought necessary for healthy human development (Bowlby;Larose, Berneir, & Tarabulsy, 2005;Marsh, McFarland, Allen, McElhaney, & Land, 2003;Schneider, Atkinson, & Tardif, 2001). …”

“…Prior research with children placed outside of their homes has devoted little or no attention to assessing the quality of outof-home care. Childrearing environments found in orphanages, often referred to as institutionalized care, are universally assumed to be highly undesirable, if not pathogenic (Larose et al, 2005;Marsh et al, 2003;Schneider et al, 2001). Such experiences are referred to as conditions of "social deprivation" (O'Conner & Rutter, 2000;Rutter, 1998).…”

Attachment and Autonomy During Adolescence

“…The deidealization subscale of the MotherFather -Peer scale contains seven items assessing presence or absence of unrealistically positive views of childhood relationships with parents (e.g., [my parent] " was close to the perfect parent " and " had not a single fault that I can think of " ). Although this measure has not received very much empirical attention, it has been utilized recently with adolescents (Allen et al, 2003 ). 3…”

“…Security of attachment during adolescence has generally been found to co -occur with a parenting style and parent -adolescent relationship qualities that support and promote autonomy. For example, secure teens and young adults (as assessed both with the AAI and attachment style questionnaires) perceive their families as more involved and supportive, and as granting them more psychological autonomy than insecure teens (Allen et al, 2003 ;Karavasilis, Doyle, & Markiewicz, 2003 ;Harvey & Byrd, 2000 ;Kobak & Sceery, 1988 ). Adolescents with secure attachment styles also report turning to their mothers (more than friends or romantic partners) to fulfill attachment functions, particularly the secure base function (Markiewicz, Lawford, & Doyle, 2006 ).…”

“…Adolescents with secure attachment styles also report turning to their mothers (more than friends or romantic partners) to fulfill attachment functions, particularly the secure base function (Markiewicz, Lawford, & Doyle, 2006 ). One recent study also found security of attachment to be linked to high levels of maternal sensitivity, as measured by how well mothers were able to predict the ways that their teens would respond to a questionnaire about their own competence (Allen et al, 2003 ). Secure states of mind are also associated with warmer, more accepting, open, and engaged interactions with parents as observed from interactions and as reported by adolescents (Becker -Stoll, Delius, & Scheitenberger, 2001 ;Ducharme, Doyle, & Markiewicz, 2002 ;Roisman, Madsen, Hennighausen, Sroufe, & Collins, 2001 ).…”