Quality of attachment relationships and peer relationship dysfunction among late adolescents with and without anxiety disorders

Abstract

Little is known about the links between anxiety disorders and parent-child attachment disorganization and quality of peer relationships in late adolescence. This study examined the quality of attachment and peer relationships among adolescents with and without anxiety disorders in a sample of 109 low-to moderate-income families. Psychopathology was assessed with the SCID-I. Attachment disorganization and dysfunction in peer relationships were measured using semi-structured interviews and behavioral observations. Adolescents with anxiety disorders and comorbid conditions showed higher levels of attachment disorganization across three measurement approaches, as well as higher levels of dysfunction in peer relationships than those with no Axis I diagnosis. Adolescents without anxiety disorders but with other Axis I disorders differed only in the quality of school relationships from those with no diagnoses. The pattern of results suggests that pathological anxiety, in the context of other comorbidities, may be a marker for more pervasive levels of social impairment.

A systematic review of adult attachment and social anxiety

“…This is consistent with findings between attachment and social anxiety in children and adolescents (i.e. Brumariu & Kerns, 2008;Brumariu, et al, 2013). However, when both attachment anxiety and avoidance are high, as in fearful attachment styles, an even stronger association with social anxiety was observed.…”

“…Vertue (2003) posits a unifying theory linking evolutionary, self-presentation and learning theories of social anxiety through the lens of attachment to explain the origins, development and maintenance of social anxiety. Vertue's hypothesises that early life experiences can result in IWMs of self as inferior, undesirable, low in social-status (Ollendick & Benoit, 2012;Brumariu, et al, 2013), and models of others as rejecting. These activate evolutionary behaviours of submission to and avoidance of others, which induce and reinforce anxiety in social domains (Weisman, et al, 2011).…”

Attachment and Parenting in Adult Patients with Anxiety Disorders

“…Other studies suggested a link between attachment disorganization and anxiety. Pioneer studies reported a high prevalence of unresolved attachment states of mind in adult patients with anxiety disorders [15, 36], while a recent study on late adolescents found that the presence of anxiety disorders and comorbid conditions was associated with higher levels of attachment disorganization [16]. …”

Is Insecure Parent–Child Attachment a Risk Factor for the Development of Anxiety in Childhood or Adolescence?

“…Securely attached children are more cooperative, better liked by peers, and form more supportive friendships than insecurely attached children (Booth‐LaForce & Kerns, ; Schneider, Atkinson, & Tardif, ). Peer relationships are also related to anxiety in that more anxious children perceive themselves to be less competent with peers, are more likely to be victimized by peers, and have more difficulties in friendships and romantic relationships (Brumariu et al., ; Kingery, Erdley, Marshall, Whitaker, & Reuter, ). Consistent with the idea that peer relationships play a role in explaining associations between attachment and anxiety, in two studies, children securely attached in the first 3 years were more competent with peers in middle childhood, which in turn accounted for why they experienced less anxiety in late childhood or adolescence (Bosquet & Egeland, ; Brumariu & Kerns, ).…”