Parental Insecure Attachment Styles and Clinical Psychological Symptoms in Adolescent Children: The Mediating Role of Coparenting

Adult Romantic Attachment and Parental Reflective Functioning in Parents of Pre-School Children: An Association Study With a Sex-Sensitive Approach.

BACKGROUND Parental reflective functioning (PRF) has important developmental roles in the offspring. The relationship between parents' attachment style and PRF, as well as their intergenerational transmission, have been object of investigation in recent years, however, the studies have been mostly limited to mothers and conducted with semi-structured interviews. We aimed to assess this relationship using self-reports (PRF Questionnaire and Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised), and discuss their impact on child development. METHODS A total of 240 parents of 262 pre-school children were recruited via online methods. They completed both questionnaires as well as data regarding sex and age of parents and children. General linear models were conducted to assess the relationship between PRF and attachment dimensions, controlled by potential sex and age confounders. RESULTS Anxious attachment was significantly associated with the "prementalization" and "certainty about mental states" subscales, with the models explaining 15.8% and 7% of their variability. These associations remained constant when performing sex-disaggregated analyses, and in both cases the sex-specific models explained a greater variability in men than in women. Attachment style didn't show any significant associations with the "interest and curiosity" subscale, nonetheless, differences between fathers and mothers in this latter dimension were also observed in the univariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS Parental attachment styles are significantly associated with specific PRF domains, and these associations differ between mothers and fathers. Our results replicate previous findings, obtained mostly with interview-based assessments, and incorporate a sex-specific approach. Finally, the impact of PRF and adult attachment on the socio-emotional and behavioral development of the offspring is reviewed and discussed, as well as the clinical implications that could be derived from the extensive use of these tools.

Intergenerational transmission of attachment patterns in families of adolescents with non-suicidal self-injury: the mediating role of child insecure attachment.

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to evaluate the direct and indirect associations between parental insecure attachment and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescents, with particular emphasis on the mediating role of insecure attachment in the child and the differential contributions of paternal and maternal attachment patterns. METHODS A cross-sectional design was employed involving 74 adolescents aged 10-19 years and their parents. Participants were categorized into three groups: adolescents with NSSI (NSSI group), adolescents diagnosed with mood disorders without NSSI (clinical control group), and healthy controls. Attachment patterns were assessed using the Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory. Mediation effects were examined using structural equation modeling. RESULTS Insecure attachment in the child was a significant predictor of NSSI in adolescents (β = 0.823, p = 0.003). Neither paternal nor maternal insecure attachment demonstrated a direct association with NSSI. However, insecure attachment in fathers was significantly associated with insecure attachment in the child (β = 0.852, p = 0.043). A statistically significant indirect effect was observed between paternal insecure attachment and adolescent NSSI through insecure attachment in the child (β = 0.701, p = 0.047). The corresponding mediation pathway involving maternal insecure attachment was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS Insecure attachment in the child served as a key mediating factor in the association between paternal insecure attachment and NSSI. These findings suggest that paternal attachment patterns may have a distinct influence on the development of attachment insecurity in adolescents. Preventive and therapeutic interventions may benefit from addressing attachment security in both parents and children, with particular consideration given to paternal attachment within intergenerational transmission processes. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER Not applicable.

The Relationship between Maternal Attachment Styles and Postpartum Depression Symptoms: The Moderating Role of Spousal Support

Parental fear of happiness and childhood loneliness among Chinese primary students: the mediation effect of parent-child attachment and peer attachment.

INTRODUCTION Childhood loneliness has emerged as a pressing concern, undermining children's psychological well-being and social functioning. Although fear of happiness has been linked to poorer psychological functioning, little is known about how parental fear of happiness influences children's loneliness. The present study is the first, integrating variable-oriented and person-oriented approaches, to investigate the associations and mechanisms between parental fear of happiness and children's loneliness. METHODS This study employed a two-wave prospective design with a 6-month interval. A total of 337 parent-child dyads (Mage = 10.39 ± 1.06 years at T1, 180 boys, age range = 9-13 years) were recruited. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine the hypothesized indirect effects. Furthermore, latent profile analysis (LPA) and SEM were utilized to investigate the associations among various constructs. RESULTS The results showed that (1) parent-child attachment and peer attachment served as mediators in the association between parental fear of happiness and children's loneliness. A significant sequential indirect association was found: higher parental fear of happiness was associated with lower parent-child attachment, which was further associated with lower peer attachment and higher children's loneliness. (2) LPA identified a three-class solution for parental fear of happiness: the low (52.2%), moderate (37.4%), and high (10.4%) groups. (3) For the high versus the low PFOH group contrast, relative mediation effects via both parent-child attachment and peer attachment were significant. The relative sequential mediation effect involving parent-child attachment and peer attachment remained significant. For the moderate versus the low PFOH group contrast, parent-child attachment remained a significant mediator, and the sequential indirect effect was also significant. The relative mediation effect via peer attachment was not significant. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that parental fear of happiness is associated with greater loneliness both directly and indirectly through attachment-related mechanisms, having implications for the prevention and intervention of children's loneliness.

Positive parenting and its impact on positive development of adolescents and emerging adults across academic trajectories

The literature shows that parenting style is the main factor for the positive development of children at all stages of development. Positive development has been evaluated using various psychological constructs. This study analyzes this relationship using four constructs with a strong adaptive component: dispositional optimism, hope, general self-efficacy and sense of coherence. Additionally, we adopt an ecological perspective and examine whether these associations differ across cross-sectional age groups, sex, and academic pathways. To this end, a sample of 1507 adolescents and emerging adults from different academic pathways, between 12 and 18 years old and 52% female, completed the following questionnaires: the Youth Life Orientation Test (YLOT), Children’s Hope Scale (CHS), General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSS), Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-13) questionnaires and a scale for evaluating parenting style (Scale for the Evaluation of Parenting Style in Adolescents). A random sampling was carried out by schools in a Spanish province. Previous reliability and validity analyses of the constructs were carried out and correlational analyses and structural predictions were made. The results show that the constructs define a unique factor of positive development and that positive parenting is associated with better positive development. However, the relevance of these relationships are lower as the age group is higher, except in the group of young people with less successful academic pathways. The relation between positive parenting and positive development are different depending on sex, adolescent stage and academic pathway. Families that provide positive support may calibrate their involvement to the needs typically associated with different age groups. Implications for family and academic arenas are discussed.

Formative Parental Competencies and Parenting Stress as Predictors of Children’s Self-Esteem

Background. Nurturing and responsive parenting, along with parental competencies that foster child development, are the foundation for healthy emotional and psychological growth, as they provide children and adolescents with a secure environment in which they feel valued, understood, and capable of coping with everyday challenges. From this perspective, the quality of family interactions plays a central role in the development of children’s self-esteem. Objective. To analyze the relationship among formative parental competencies, parental stress, and children’s self-esteem. Design. The sample of 332 participants comprised 166 children aged 8 to 12 years and their caregivers. The E2P v.2 scale, the PSI-SF, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale were administered, after obtaining consent from the parents and/or caregivers and assent from the children. Results. At a correlational level, formative parental competencies were negatively associated with parental stress, and positively associated with children’s self-esteem, while parental stress was negatively associated with that self-esteem. When examining the relationships using structural equation modeling, formative parental competencies were associated with less stress and higher self-esteem in children, without showing a direct effect of stress on the children’s self-esteem. Conclusion. These findings suggest that the quality of parenting practices is associated with lower levels of parental stress and higher levels of children’s self-esteem, highlighting its potential role as a protective factor. This pattern of associations may inform the design of interventions aimed at strengthening parental competencies aligned with positive parenting, without implying causal effects.