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

Laura E Brumariu,Ingrid Obsuth,Karlen Lyons-Ruth

doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2012.09.002

Laura E Brumariu, Ingrid Obsuth + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2012.09.002

Copy DOI

Journal: Journal of Anxiety Disorders	Publication Date: Oct 1, 2012
Citations: 32	License type: cc-by

Affiliation: Cambridge Hospital

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.

Highlights

Anxiety disorders consist of a diverse group of psychological difficulties with varied intensities and clinical presentations
Since we expected that late adolescents with anxiety disorders would have other Axis I diagnoses, we examined whether those with other Axis I diagnoses but no anxiety disorders would show elevated levels of dysfunction across the same social domains
Theory suggests a close link between anxiety disorders and the quality of attachment relationships (Bowlby, 1973), but only a few studies have addressed the relation between the presence of anxiety disorders and attachment disorganization (Brumariu & Kerns, 2010a)

Summary

Introduction

Anxiety disorders consist of a diverse group of psychological difficulties with varied intensities and clinical presentations. Share a basic component, which is intense fear and anxiety (Rapee & Barlow, 2001). Transitory fears are part of typical development, the intense anxiety that reaches the level of an anxiety disorder is associated with internal distress, low self-esteem, deficits in emotion regulation, and high levels of life interference (Rapee, Schniering, & Hudson, 2009). Adolescence is marked by rapid developmental changes including physical maturation, alterations in the neural and neurotransmitter systems underlying affect regulation, emerging increased intimacy in relationships, and growing peer influence (Spear, 2000, Sroufe et al, 2005). It is important to investigate how the presence of anxiety disorders is related to social functioning in adolescence in both family relationships and in peer relationships including school, friendship, and romantic relationships

Objectives

Methods

Conclusion