Early childhood attachment stability and change: a meta-analysis

Opie, Jessica E; McIntosh, Jennifer; Esler, Timothy; Duschinsky, Robbie; George, Carol; Schore, Allan N.; Kothe, Emily; Tan, Evelyn; Greenwood, Christopher J; Olsson, Craig A.

doi:10.1080/14616734.2020.1800769

Cited by 38 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 73 publications

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“…To date, no other studies have supported this hypothesis. Given that attachment representations are susceptible to change with time, being less stable in childhood than adulthood ( 7 , 27 ), it is also possible that some children assessed as secure at the time of the study may have been insecurely attached before they developed diabetes. The availability, consistency, and responsiveness of medical professionals, such as the diabetes pediatrician (24-h phone availability) and the availability of care offered by other professionals from the diabetes team (nurses, educators, dietitians, psychologists, child psychiatrists, group and family therapists), could provide a safer environment for the families of children with T1D.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Carer's Attachment Anxiety, Stressful Life-Events and the Risk of Childhood-Onset Type 1 Diabetes

et al. 2021

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Background/Objective: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is among the most common chronic diseases in children/adolescents, and the incidence continues to rise worldwide. Different environmental factors have been evaluated in the etiology. In the present study, we investigated the role of attachment examining whether insecure attachment to carers or carers' own attachment insecurity was related to a higher risk of T1D in children.Methods: We included 101 children with T1D (mean age 11.8 years), 106 healthy controls (11.6 years), and one of their carers. We assessed children's attachment using the Child Attachment Interview and carers' attachment using the Relationship Structures Questionnaire. We constructed binary multinomial logistic regression models using attachment to mothers, carers' attachment representations, and stressful life-events as T1D predictors.Results: Higher carer attachment anxiety was associated with the child's T1D diagnosis (p < 0.05; R2 = 0.0613) while security of attachment to mothers showed no significant association. When mothers' education was included in the model, both attachment anxiety in higher educated mothers and stressful life events showed a significant association with the child's T1D (p < 0.001; R2 = 0.293).Conclusions: Our findings suggest that higher attachment-related anxiety in carers with high education and stressful life events are associated with T1D in children.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Carer's Attachment Anxiety, Stressful Life-Events and the Risk of Childhood-Onset Type 1 Diabetes

et al. 2021

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“…3) Can you see yourself in the future encouraging suitable parents to participate in MERTIL for Parents as a first intervention step? (3) What are the long-term and short-term implications of programs such as MERTIL for Parents ?…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

My Early Relational Trust-Informed Learning (MERTIL) for Parents: A study protocol for a brief, universal, online, preventative parenting program to enhance relational health

Opie

Hooker

Gibson

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Background: Early relational health is a key determinant of childhood development, and relational trauma in the parent-infant dyad can instigate a cascading pattern of infant risk. Fortunately, early relational trauma is detectable and modifiable. In 2018, Australian Maternal and Child Health (MCH) nurses participated in MERTIL (My Early Relational Trauma -Informed Learning), a program to identify and prevent relational trauma. Program evaluations revealed nurses felt competent and confident to identify and respond to relational trauma; however, response capacity was inhibited by inadequate parent referral options. In response, MERTIL for Parents (My Early Relational Trust -Informed Learning) was developed, which is an online, evidence-based, self-paced parenting program that focuses on enhancing parental knowledge of relational trust and its significance for infant development. This low-cost, accessible prevention resource targets emerging relational concerns to reduce later service system engagement. The potential for universal preventative online programs that target parental and relational wellbeing remains under-explored. This paper reports on a protocol for implementing a pilot study describing nurses’ and parents’ perspectives on program feasibility and efficacy. Methods: This study is a mixed-methods, parallel-armed, uncontrolled, repeated measures design. We aim to recruit 28 MCH nurses who will in turn recruit 480 parents with a child aged 0-5 years. All parents will receive MERTIL for Parents entailing a 40-minute video, tipsheets, worksheets, and support resources. Parent data will be obtained at three periods: pre-program, program exit, and program follow-up. Nurse data will be collected at two periods: parent recruitment completion and program follow-up. Data collection will occur through surveys and focus groups. Primary parent outcomes will be socioemotional assessing program efficacy. Nurses and parents will each report on study program feasibility. Discussion: This protocol describes the feasibility and efficacy of a new online parenting program, MERTIL for Parents, with pilot field studies commencing in July 2022. We anticipate that this resource will be a valuable addition to various child and family services, for use in individual support and group work.

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“…These two types of insecure attachments were defined in a clinical context as enmeshed and fearful vulnerable attachment styles respectively (Bifulco, Mahon, Kwon, Moran, & Jacobs, 2003 ). These attachment styles were often stable from early childhood to adulthood, especially for secure attachment, but attachments can also vary over time (Opie et al, 2020 ). A longitudinal study found that early infant attachment were important for emotional regulation later in life (Girme, Jones, Fleck, Simpson, & Overall, 2020 ).…”

Section: The Role Of Adult Vulnerable Attachment For Ptsd and Social Supportmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rejection sensitivity and vulnerable attachment: associations with social support and PTSD symptoms in trauma survivors

Jittayuthd

Karl

2022

European Journal of Psychotraumatology

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Background Although social support has been consistently associated with recovery from psychological trauma and prevention of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), individual differences in seeking or benefitting from social support in trauma survivors are not well understood. Factors associated with negative internal working models of self and others, emotion dysregulation, and interrupted bonds with an individual’s social support groups such as vulnerable attachment and rejection sensitivity could contribute to lower experienced social support and higher levels of PTSD. Objective The objective of this study was to test a theoretically informed model and investigate how psychosocial variables such as vulnerable attachment styles, rejection sensitivity, and social support are associated with PTSD. Method Using a cross-sectional survey and path analyses in 141 survivors of trauma (aged 18–69, M = 25.20), the relationship between vulnerable attachment style, rejection sensitivity, and PTSD were investigated. Results Higher vulnerable attachment, rejection sensitivity, and lower social support were found to be significant predictors of PTSD symptoms ( f 2 = 0.75). The relationships from vulnerable attachment to PTSD were mediated by rejection sensitivity and perceived social support. The results supported and extend theoretical models of PTSD that posit a role for predisposing factors in the development and maintenance of the disorder. Conclusion The findings suggest a potential benefit of identifying vulnerable groups that could benefit from a refinement of existing PTSD interventions by targeting the maladaptive effects of vulnerable attachment and rejection sensitivity, thus allowing the individual to draw effectively on social support networks.

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Early childhood attachment stability and change: a meta-analysis

Cited by 38 publications

References 73 publications

Carer's Attachment Anxiety, Stressful Life-Events and the Risk of Childhood-Onset Type 1 Diabetes

Carer's Attachment Anxiety, Stressful Life-Events and the Risk of Childhood-Onset Type 1 Diabetes

My Early Relational Trust-Informed Learning (MERTIL) for Parents: A study protocol for a brief, universal, online, preventative parenting program to enhance relational health

Rejection sensitivity and vulnerable attachment: associations with social support and PTSD symptoms in trauma survivors

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