The relationship between attachment styles and internalizing or externalizing symptoms in clinical and nonclinical adolescents
Abstract
Studies regarding the relationship between attachment and psychopathology during adolescence have been performed separately for clinical and nonclinical adolescents and have used different assessment measures, which together might produce a methodological bias that increases the association between attachment and psychopathology. With the aim of avoiding this bias, the present study used identical measures to explore the relationship between attachment styles and internalizing or externalizing symptoms in clinical and nonclinical groups of adolescents. The sample consisted of 258 adolescents,129 clinical and 129 nonclinical, aged between 14 and 18 years. The adolescents in each group were matched for age, gender, and socioeconomic status. Attachment was assessed using the CaMir Q-sort,(Pierrehumbert et al., 1996) and psychopathological symptoms were assessed by means of the Youth Self Report (YSR). The relationships between attachment and psychopathology were similar for clinical and nonclinical adolescents. In both groups a preoccupied attachment style predicted internalizing and externalizing symptoms, somatic complaints, anxious-fearful behavior, verbal aggression, attention-seeking behavior, and thinking problems. Compared to previous studies, this research has made it possible to identify broader, stronger, and more specific associations between preoccupied attachment style and psychopathological symptoms in adolescents.
Downloads
References
Abad, J., Forns, M., & Gómez, J. (2002). Emotional and behavioral problems as mesured by the YSR: Gender and age differences in spain adolescents. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 18(2), 149-157. Doi: 10.1027//1015-5759.18.2.157
Achenbach, T. M. (1991). Manual for the Youth Self Report and 1991 Profile. Burlington, VT: Dept. of Psychiatry, University of Vermont.
Adam, K. S., Sheldon-Keller, A. E., & West, M. (1996). Attachment organization and history of suicidal behavior in clinical adolescents. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64(2), 264-272. Doi: 10.1037/0022-006X.64.2.264
Allen, J. P. (2008). Attachment system in adolescence. In J. Cassidy, & P. R. Shaver (Eds.), Handbook of Attachment: Theory, Research and Clinical Applications (pp. 419-435). New York, London: The Guilford Press.
Allen, J. P., Hauser, S. T., & Borman-Spurrell, E. (1996). Attachment theory as a framework for understanding sequelae of severe adolescent psychopathology: An 11-year follow-up study. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64(2), 254-263. Doi: 10.1037/0022-006X.64.2.254
Allen, J. P., Insabella, G., Porter, M. R., Smith, F. D., Land, D., & Phillips, N. (2006). A social-interactional model of the development of depressive symptoms in adolescence. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 74(1), 55-65. Doi: 10.1037/0022-006X.74.1.55
Allen, J. P., Marsh, P., McFarland, C., McElhaney, K. B., Land, D. J., Jodl, K. M., & Peck, S. (2002). Attachment and autonomy as predictors of the development of social skills and delinquency during midadolescence. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 70(1), 56-66. Doi: 10.1037/0022-006X.70.1.56
Allen, J. P., Moore, C., Kuperminc, G., & Bell, K. (1998). Attachment and adolescent psychosocial functioning. Child Development, 69(5), 1406-1419. Doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.1998.tb06220.x
Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J., & Van Ijzendoorn, M. H. (2009). The first 10,000 adult attachment interviews: Distributions of adult attachment representations in clinical and non-clinical groups. Attachment and Human Development, 11(3), 223-263. Doi: 10.1080/14616730902814762
Benony, H., Peny, L., Gianoli, M., Hernandez, S., & Larome, A. (2001). Étude descriptive des modèles individuels de relations chez des patients psychotiques débutants. Annales Médico-Psychologiques, 159, 589-594. Doi: 10.1016/S0003-4487(01)00097-X
Brown, L. S., & Wright, J. (2003). The relationship between attachment strategies and psychopathology in adolescence. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory Research and Practice, 76(4), 351-367. Doi: 10.1348/147608303770584728
Brumariu, L. E., & Kerns, K. A. (2010). Parent-child attachment and internalizing symptoms in childhood and adolescence: A review of empirical findings and future directions. Development and Psycho-pathology, 22(1), 177-203. Doi: 10.1017/S0954579409990344
Colonnesi, C., Draijer, E. M., Jan, J. M. S., Van der Bruggen, C. O., Bo-gels, S. M., & Noom, M. J. (2011). The relation between insecure attachment and child anxiety: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 40(4), 630-645. Doi: 10.1080/15374416.2011.581623
Daniel, S. I. (2006). Adult attachment patterns and individual psychotherapy: A review. Clinical Psychology Review, 26(8), 968-984. Doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2006.02.001
DeKlyen, M., & Greenberg, M. T. (2008). Attachment and psychopathology in childhood. In J. Cassidy, & P. R. Shaver (Eds.), Handbook of Attachment: Theory, Research and Clinical Applications (pp. 637-665). New York: The Guilford Press.
Doyle, A. B., & Markiewicz, D. (2005). Parenting, marital conflict and adjustment from early- to mid-adolescence: Mediated by adolescent attachment style? Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 34(2), 97-110. Doi: 10.1007/s10964-005-3209-7
Dozier, M. (1990). Attachment organization and treatment use for adults with serious psychopathological disorders. Development and Psychopathology, 2(1), 47-60. Doi: 10.1017/S0954579400000584
Dozier, M., & Lee, S. W. (1995). Discrepancies between self- and other-report of psychiatric symptomatology: Effects of dismissing attachment strategies. Development and Psychopathology, 7(1), 217-226. Doi: 10.1017/S095457940000643X
Dozier, M., Stovall-McClough, K. C., & Albus, K. E. (2008). Attachment and psychopathology in adulthood. In J. Cassidy, & P. R. Shaver (Eds.), Handbook of Attachment: Theory, Research and Clinical Applications (pp. 718-744). New York: The Guilford Press.
Hankin, B. L. (2005). Childhood maltreatment and psychopathology: Prospective test of attachment, cognitive vulnerability, and stress as mediating processes. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 29(6), 645-671. Doi: 10.1007/s10608-005-3166-1
Kobak, R. R., Cole, H. E., Ferenz-Gillies, R., Fleming, W. S., & Gamble, W. (1993). Attachment and emotion regulation during mother-teen problem solving: A control theory analysis. Child Development, 64(1), 231-245. Doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.1993.tb02906.x
Kobak, R. R., Sudler, N., & Gamble, W. (1991). Attachment and depressive symptoms during adolescence: A developmental pathways analysis. Development and Psychopathology, 3(4), 461-474. Doi: 10.1017/S095457940000763X
Lacasa, F. (2008). Relación entre el vínculo afectivo, psicopatología y cambio, en una muestra de adolescentes. Estudio comparativo entre una muestra clínica que han realizado psicoterapia de grupo y una muestra comunitaria. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Barcelona: Department of Psychology, University Autonomous of Barcelona.
Lemos, S., Vallejo, G., & Sandoval, M. (2002). Estructura factorial del youth self report (YSR). Psicothema, 14(4), 816-822. Retrieved from http://www.psicothema.com/psicothema.asp?ID=804
Levy, K. N., Ellison, W. D., Scott, L. N., & Bernecker, S. L. (2011). At-tachment style. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 67(2), 193-203. Doi: 10.1002/jclp.20756/
Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. R. (2007). Attachment bases of psychopathology. Attachment in adulthood. Structure, Dynamics, and Change (pp. 369-404). New York: The Guilford Press.
Miljkovitch, R., Pierrehumbert, B., Karmaniola, A., Bader, M., & Halfon, O. (2005). Assessing attachment cognitions and their associations with depression in youth with eating or drug misuse disorders. Substance Use and Misuse, 40(5), 605-623. Doi: 10.1081/JA-200055349
Muela, A., Torres, B., & Balluerka, N. (2012). Estilos de apego y psicopatología en adolescentes víctimas de maltrato infantil. Infancia y Aprendizaje, 35(4), 451-469. Doi: 10.1174/021037012803495294
Muela, A. (2011). Desprotección infantil, estilos de apego e indicadores de psicopatología en la adolescencia. Bilbao: Department of Psychology, University of the Basque Country.
Muris, P., Meesters, C., Morren, M., & Moorman, L. (2004). Anger and hostility in adolescents: relationships with self-reported attachment style and perceived parental rearing styles. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 57(3), 257-264. Doi: 10.1016/S0022-3999(03)00616-0
Muris, P., Mayer, B., & Meesters, C. (2000). Self-reported attachment style, anxiety, and depression in children. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 28(2), 157-162. Doi: 10.2224/sbp.2000.28.2.157
Muris, P., & Meesters, C. (2002). Attachment, behavioral inhibition, and anxiety disorders symptoms in normal adolescents. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 24(2), 97-106. Doi: 10.1023/A:1015388724539
Muris, P., Meesters, C., van Melick, M., & Zwambag, L. (2001). Self-reported attachment style, attachment quality, and symptoms of anxiety and depression in young adolescents. Personality and Individual Differences, 30(5), 809-818. Doi: 10.1016/S0191-8869(00)00074-X
Muris, P., Meesters, C., & van der Berg, S. (2003). Internalizing and externalizing problems as correlates of self-report attachment style and perceived rearing in normal adolescents. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 12(2), 171-183. Doi: 10.1023/A:1022858715598
Nishikawa, S., Hägglöf, B., & Sundbom, E. (2010). Contributions of at-tachment and self-concept on internalizing and externalizing problems among japanese adolescents. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 19(3), 334-342. Doi: 10.1007/s10826-009-9303-9
Pierrehumbert, B., Karmaniola, A., Sieye, A., Meister, C., Miljkovitch, R., & Alfon, O. (1996). Les modèles de relations: Développement d'un auto-questionnaire d'attachement pour adultes. Psychiatrie de l'Enfant, 39(1), 161-206. Retrieved from http://bsf.spp.asso.fr/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=43650
Pierrehumbert, B., Bader, M., Miljkovitch, R., Mazet, P., Amar, M., & Halfon, O. (2002). Strategies of emotion regulation in adolescents and young adults with substance dependence o eating disorders. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 9(6), 384-394. Doi: 10.1002/cpp.339
Ronnlund, M., & Karlsson, E. (2006). The relation between dimensions of attachment and internalizing or externalizing problems during adolescence. The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 167(1), 47-63. Doi: 10.3200/GNTP.167.1.47-63
Rosenstein, D. S., & Horowitz, H. A. (1996). Adolescent attachment and psychopathology. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64(2), 244-253. Doi: 10.1037/0022-006X.64.2.244
Sandoval, M., Lemos, S., & Vallejo, G. (2006). Self-reported competences and problems in spanish adolescents: A normative study of the YSR. Psicothema, 18(4), 804-809. Retrieved from http://www.psicothema.com/psicothema.asp?ID=3312
Shaver, P. R., & Mikulincer, M. (2002). Attachment-related psychodynamics. Attachment and Human Development, 4(2), 133-161. Doi: 10.1080/14616730210154171
Slade, A. (2008). The implications of attachment theory and research for adult psychotherapy. In J. Cassidy, & P. R. Shaver (Eds.), Handbook of Attachment: Theory, Research and Clinical Applications (pp. 762-782). New York, London: The Guilford Press.
Wallis, P., & Steele, H. (2001). Attachment representations in adoles-cence: Further evidence from psychiatric residential settings. Attachment and Human Development, 3(3), 259-268. Doi: 10.1080/14616730110096870
Ward, M. J., Lee, S. S., & Polan, H. J. (2006). Attachment and psycho-pathology in a community sample. Attachment and Human Development, 8(4), 327-340. Doi: 10.1080/14616730601048241
Zubeidat, I., Fernández, A., Ortega, J. E., Vallejo, M. A., & Sierra, J. C. (2009). Características psicosociales y psicopatológicas en una muestra de adolescentes españoles a partir del "Youth Self-Report"/11-18. Anales de Psicología, 25(1), 60-69.
The works published in this journal are subject to the following terms:
1. The Publications Service of the University of Murcia (the publisher) retains the property rights (copyright) of published works, and encourages and enables the reuse of the same under the license specified in paragraph 2.
© Servicio de Publicaciones, Universidad de Murcia, 2022
2. The works are published in the online edition of the journal under a Creative Commons Reconocimiento-CompartirIgual 4.0 (legal text). You can copy, use, distribute, transmit and publicly display, provided that: i) you cite the author and the original source of publication (journal, editorial and URL of the work), ii) are not used for commercial purposes, iii ) mentions the existence and specifications of this license.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
3. Conditions of self-archiving. Is allowed and encouraged the authors to disseminate electronically pre-print versions (version before being evaluated and sent to the journal) and / or post-print (version reviewed and accepted for publication) of their works before publication, as it encourages its earliest circulation and diffusion and thus a possible increase in its citation and scope between the academic community. RoMEO Color: Green.
