Abstract
This study tested a 10-year longitudinal model examining the role of adolescent attachment, adult romantic attachment, and emotion regulation strategies on adult symptoms of psychopathology. Fifty individuals completed a measure of attachment security to parents and peers at age 14, measures of romantic attachment and emotion regulation at age 22, and a measure of psychopathology at age 24. Results revealed that attachment insecurity to parents in adolescence was associated with greater symptoms of psychopathology in adulthood, and emotion-focused strategies partially mediated this association. Anxious romantic attachment was also related to psychopathology, an association that was fully mediated by emotion-focused strategies. The long-term mechanism involved in the association between earlier attachment and future adaptation will be discussed.
Highlights
In the last decade, research supporting associations between adolescent and adult attachment models, general psychosocial adaptation, and disposition to distress in nonclinical samples has flourished (Fortuna & Roisman, 2008; Mallinckrodt & Wei, 2005)
Results revealed no significant association between gender and psychopathology, t(48) = 1.24 n.s
To assess the possible influence of stressful life events on adult symptoms of psychopathology, a risk index was created based on the presence (1) or absence (0) of stressful life events as reported at Time 2 (T2) and Time 3 (T3)
Summary
Research supporting associations between adolescent and adult attachment models, general psychosocial adaptation, and disposition to distress in nonclinical samples has flourished (Fortuna & Roisman, 2008; Mallinckrodt & Wei, 2005). To protect themselves from this possible rejection, avoidant children inhibit attachment-related behaviors, such as the expression of negative emotions and proximity seeking (Main & Cassidy, 1988) Based on their experiences, avoidant children may view others as untrustworthy and develop positive but unrealistic self-perceptions, with an excessive focus on their ability to overcome difficult situations on their own. Insecure-ambivalent children, have experienced inconsistent or unpredictable caregiving, leading them to worry about the availability of their attachment figure to respond to their manifestations of distress In response to their caregiving experiences, ambivalent children learn to exaggerate and intensify distress signals to maintain parental proximity (Main & Cassidy, 1988). Children with disorganized attachment describe themselves the most negatively of all the attachment groups, show the highest level of affect dysregulation, and lack organized and coherent attachment strategies for seeking parental proximity in times of distress (Main & Solomon, 1990)
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