Pathways to Adolescent Internalizing: Early Attachment Insecurity as a Lasting Source of Vulnerability

Abstract

Despite theoretical links between attachment quality in early childhood and subsequent internalizing symptoms, there is limited empirical evidence supporting direct effects. In this article, we test whether early attachment insecurity indirectly contributes to adolescent internalizing by increasing the likelihood of certain pathways leading to elevated symptoms (i.e., moderated mediation). Structural equation modeling and bootstrapping were used to test for moderated mediation using longitudinal data from 910 adolescents participating in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care (M age = 15.1; 50% female, 23% racial/ethnic minority). Among dyads with a history of an insecure attachment in early childhood, mothers' negative emotions during the transition to adolescence significantly predicted less availability during parent-adolescent interactions, which in turn increased adolescents' preoccupation with parental relationships. The same process was not evident in youth with a history of secure attachments. However, the extent to which preoccupation with parental relationships was associated with increases in internalizing symptoms depended on both attachment history and gender. Results highlight one pathway by which early attachment history may indirectly contribute to increased internalizing symptoms for girls during the transition to adolescence.

Family Obligation Values as a Protective and Vulnerability Factor Among Low-Income Adolescent Girls

“…An example of a dismissing item is, “I rarely turn to my mother when upset”; an example of a preoccupied item is, “I get too wrapped up in my mother's worries”. In previous studies, these domains relate to mother and child reports of relationship characteristics in ways consistent with attachment theory (e.g., Branstetter, Fuman & Cottrell, 2009), with higher scores increasing the risk for psychopathology (e.g., Milan, Zona & Snow, 2013). Adolescents responded separately for maternal preoccupation (5 items, α = .69), paternal preoccupation (5 items, α =.72), maternal dismissiveness (5 items, α = .68), and paternal dismissiveness (5 items, α = .74).…”

“…For most variables, higher FO was associated with what is generally considered better family functioning, including greater warmth, less hostility, more communication, more monitoring, and less relational dismissiveness. The one exception to this pattern was that higher FO was associated with a more preoccupied relational style with parents, which has been considered a risk factor (e.g., Milan et al, 2013). …”

Infant Attachment Moderates Paths From Early Negativity to Preadolescent Outcomes for Children and Parents

“…That model has been since replicated with regard to adolescents’ internalizing problems (Milan, Zona, & Snow, 2013), middle childhood aggression (Cyr, Pasalich, McMahon, & Spieker, 2014), and toddlers’ defiance (Lickenbrock, Braungart-Rieker, Ekas, Zentall, Oshio, & Phanalp, 2013) and affective problems (Mills-Koonce, Propper, & Barnett, 2012). Early security or insecurity served as a potent moderator of future parent-child dynamics, with maladaptive cascades unfolding only in dyads insecure in infancy, even though long-term main effects of early attachment have been typically modest or absent.…”

Depressive Symptoms in Mothers and Daughters: Attachment Style Moderates Reporter Agreement

“…An example of a preoccupied item is, “I get too wrapped up in my mother’s worries”; an example of a dismissing item is, “I rarely turn to my mother when upset”. Like other self-report measures of attachment style, the BSQ assesses different aspects of attachment relationships than those captured by representational or behavioral measures; however, previous studies have shown that scores on these two domains are related to other attachment measures, observed relationship characteristics and subsequent adjustment in ways consistent with attachment theory (e.g., Branstetter, Furman & Cottrell, 2009; Furman & Simon, 2004; Milan, Zona & Snow, 2013). Adolescent reports of maternal preoccupation (five items, α = .74) and maternal dismissiveness (five items, α = .76) were used for the current purposes, with higher scores reflecting more preoccupation and dismissiveness.…”