Adult Attachment Dimensions and Specificity of Emotional Distress Symptoms: Prospective Investigations of Cognitive Risk and Interpersonal Stress Generation as Mediating Mechanisms

Abstract

Three prospective studies examined the relation between adult attachment dimensions and symptoms of emotional distress (anxiety and depression). Across all three studies, avoidant and anxious attachment prospectively predicted depressive symptoms, and anxious attachment was associated concurrently with anxiety symptoms. Study 2 tested a cognitive risk factors mediational model, and Study 3 tested an interpersonal stress generation mediational model. Both cognitive and interpersonal mediating processes were supported. The cognitive risk factors pathway, including elevated dysfunctional attitudes and low self-esteem, specifically mediated the relation between insecure attachment and prospective elevations in depression but not anxiety. For the interpersonal stress generation model, experiencing additional interpersonal, but not achievement, stressors over time mediated the association between insecure attachment and prospective elevations in depressive and anxious symptoms. Results advance theory and empirical knowledge about why these interpersonal and cognitive mechanisms explain how insecurely attached people become depressed and anxious.

Interpersonal Predictors of Stress Generation

“…Only two studies have prospectively examined the relationship between attachment and stress generation among adults and made the key distinction between types of stressors. In a college student sample, Hankin, Kassel, and Abela (2005) found that anxious and avoidant attachment orientations prospectively predicted interpersonal stressors, but not achievement stressors, over a 2-year period. In a clinical sample of adults receiving treatment for depression, Bottonari, Roberts, Kelly, Kashdan and Ciesla (2007) likewise found that these attachment dimensions predicted dependent and interpersonal life events but not independent or achievement-related events.…”

Vinculação da gestante e apego materno fetal

“…Outros estudos sobre o apego e desenvolvimento da criança no pós-natal enfatizam que a mãe ocupa papel fundamental na interação e desenvolvimento do bebê (Thomas, Lima, Tavares, & Oliveira, 2005;Lopes e cols., 2007;Frizzo & Piccinini, 2007;Piccinini e cols., 2007;Seild-De-Moura e cols., 2008). Sob essa mesma ótica, as pesquisas de Müller e Ferketich (1993) Pesquisas sobre as dimensões de apego do adulto e sintomas de ansiedade e depressão mostraram que os modelos de apego podem estar relacionados à manifestação de sintomas depressivos e ansiosos (Hankin, Kassel, & Abela, 2005, Correia & Linhares, 2007, assim como os sintomas de ansiedade e depressão podem interferir no AMF (Condon & Corkindale, 1997).…”

Role Balance and Depression Among College Students: The Moderating Influence of Adult Attachment Orientations

“…Similarly, insecure adult attachment orientations are correlated with elevated depression levels and with problematic social behavior (e.g., excessive reassurance seeking, chronic avoidance of social support) in college student samples (Hankin et al, 2005;Shaver, Schachner, & Mikulincer, 2005). These findings suggest that, under stressful conditions of perceived life imbalance, orientations toward either anxious or avoidant attachment may interact with role balance perceptions to predict depressive symptoms.…”

“…Across three short-term longitudinal studies, Hankin, Kassel, and Abela (2005) found that avoidant and anxious attachment orientations predicted depressive symptoms and that insecure attachment orientations were not simply correlates of depression but more likely embodied cognitive and interpersonal risk factors that prospectively contributed to depression. In a longitudinal study of college freshmen, Wei, Russell, and Zakalik (2005) similarly found that, controlling for students' initial depression levels, indices of attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance were related to students' subsequent depression, thus underscoring the role of attachment insecurity as a risk factor for emotional distress.…”

“…It is plausible, for example, that moderate to high levels of attachment avoidance may contribute to more persistent experiences of life imbalance and thereby increase these students' risk of dropping out of college. Such inquiries are especially needed given short-term longitudinal evidence that, relative to their more securely attached peers, young adults with stable insecure attachment orientations report more stressful life experiences over time (Davila, Burge, & Hammen, 1997;Hankin et al, 2005;Lopez & Gormley, 2002).…”