Examining Parents’ Romantic Attachment Styles and Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms as Predictors of Caregiving Experiences

Abstract

Evidence has suggested that parental romantic attachment style and depressive and anxiety symptoms are related to experiences of caregiving (Creswell, Apetroaia, Murray, & Cooper, 2013; Jones, Cassidy, & Shaver, 2014; Lovejoy, Graczyk, O'Hare, & Neuman, 2000), but more research is necessary to clarify the nature of these relations, particularly in the context of attachment-salient events such as reunions. In a cross-sectional study of 150 parents of children ages 1 to 3 years, we assessed participants' attachment styles (self-reported anxiety and avoidance) and depressive and anxiety symptoms. Participants generated a narrative describing their most recent reunion with their child, which we coded for caregiving outcomes of negative emotion and secure base script content. Attachment style and depressive and anxiety symptoms separately predicted each caregiving outcome. Depressive and anxiety symptoms mediated the associations between attachment style and caregiving outcomes. These results suggest that parental attachment insecurity and depressive and anxiety symptoms contribute to negative emotion and reduced secure base script content. Further, depressive and anxiety symptomatology partially accounts for the relation between attachment insecurity and caregiving outcomes, suggesting that parental mental health is a critical point for intervention.

Buffering and spillover of adult attachment insecurity in couple and family relationships

“…For example, preoccupation with receiving sufficient love from a partner can lead individuals high in attachment anxiety to feel jealous of their child, which can in turn impair parent-child relationship quality 54,85 . Compared with individuals low in anxiety, individuals high in anxiety have more difficulties managing both couple and parenting demands, which increases parenting stress and depression 54,[86][87][88][89] and, in turn, responsive caregiving [89][90][91] . The heightened distress and poor emotion regulation experienced by parents high in romantic attachment anxiety can also generate destructive behaviour during parent-child conflicts [92][93][94][95] .…”

“…Hostility and perseveration of conflict 16,76,80 Partners' negative mood and dissatisfaction 16,77 Low relationship repair attempts 79 Low responsiveness to partners and partners' repair attempts 79,80 Partners' hostility and dissatisfaction 76,78,79 Family spillover Parent-child interactions Parenting stress 54,[86][87][88][89] Destructive behaviour during conflict [92][93][94][95] Difficulty understanding children and negative coping appraisals [96][97][98] Unresponsive caregiving [89][90][91]98 Low felt positivity, meaning and satisfaction as a parent 85,101,[103][104][105] Low empathy, understanding and affection towards child 95,107,109 Low responsiveness and support 94,95,106,108,[110][111][112] Couple-family spillover…”