Attachment Style, Abuse History, and Mental Health Among New Mothers

Objective: Child abuse can have devastating mental health consequences. Fortunately, not all individuals exposed to child abuse will suffer from poor mental health. Understanding what factors are related to good mental health following child abuse can provide evidence to inform prevention of impairment. Our objectives were to 1) describe the prevalence of good, moderate, and poor mental health among respondents with and without a child abuse history; 2) examine the relationships between child abuse and good, moderate, and poor mental health outcomes; 3) examine the relationships between individual- and relationship-level factors and better mental health outcomes; and 4) determine if individual- and relationship-level factors moderate the relationship between child abuse and mental health. Method: Data were from the nationally representative 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey: Mental Health ( n = 23,395; household response rate = 79.8%; 18 years and older). Good, moderate, and poor mental health was assessed using current functioning and well-being, past-year mental disorders, and past-year suicidal ideation. Results: Only 56.3% of respondents with a child abuse history report good mental health compared to 72.4% of those without a child abuse history. Individual- and relationship-level factors associated with better mental health included higher education and income, physical activity, good coping skills to handle problems and daily demands, and supportive relationships that foster attachment, guidance, reliable alliance, social integration, and reassurance of worth. Conclusions: This study identifies several individual- and relationship-level factors that could be targeted for intervention strategies aimed at improving mental health outcomes following child abuse.

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Digital Health Needs of Women With Postpartum Depression: Focus Group Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.18934 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Madison E Lackie ◽

Julia S Parrilla ◽

Brynn M Lavery ◽

Andrea L Kennedy ◽

Deirdre Ryan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Postpartum Depression ◽

Mental Health Care ◽

Focus Groups ◽

Digital Health ◽

Qualitative Description ◽

New Mothers ◽

Focus Group Study ◽

Psychosocial Skills

BACKGROUND Although approximately 10% of new mothers in Canada develop postpartum depression (PPD), they face many barriers when accessing care. eHealth offers a unique opportunity to provide psychosocial skills and support to new mothers; however, patient populations are not consistently engaged in eHealth development processes. Thus, the diversity of women’s backgrounds and needs are often not reflected in existing tools. OBJECTIVE This study aims to engage women from a variety of backgrounds and locations around British Columbia (BC) who have previously experienced PPD to determine the unmet psychoeducational needs of women with PPD and how a web-enabled platform used to deliver psychosocial skills and education to assist in the management of PPD could fulfill those needs. METHODS Focus groups were conducted in 7 cities across BC with a total of 31 women (mean age 34.5 years, SD 4.9), with each group ranging from 2-7 participants. Focus groups were cofacilitated by the study coordinator and a local service provider in each community using a semistructured guide to discuss participants’ needs, ideas, and opinions as they relate to the use of technology in PPD management. Transcripts were approached inductively using thematic analysis to identify themes and qualitative description to frame what was observed in the data. RESULTS A total of 5 themes were identified: bridging gaps to meet needs; providing validation to combat stigma; nurturing capacity to cope, manage, and/or reach wellness; empowering people to take ownership over their mental health; and offering customization to ensure relevance. Each theme identified a need (eg, combatting stigma) and a way to address that need using a web-enabled intervention (eg, providing validation). At the intersection of these themes was the overarching value of promoting agency for women experiencing PPD. CONCLUSIONS Ultimately, new mothers require accessible mental health care that promotes their agency in mental health care decision making. Our participants believed that a web-enabled intervention could help meet this need. These data will be used to guide the design of such an intervention, with the eventual implementation of this resource as a first-line management option for PPD.

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Is attachment style in early childhood associated with mental health difficulties in late adolescence?

BJPsych Open ◽

10.1192/bjo.2021.98 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (S1) ◽

pp. S15-S15

Author(s):

Philippa Clery ◽

Angela Rowe ◽

Marcus Munafò ◽

Liam Mahedy

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Early Childhood ◽

Attachment Style ◽

Attachment Styles ◽

Late Adolescence ◽

Insecure Attachment ◽

Secure Attachment ◽

Childhood Attachment ◽

Mental Health Difficulties ◽

Self Harm

AimsIdentifying factors that contribute to mental health difficulties in young people as early in life as possible are needed to inform prevention strategies. One area of interest is attachment. Although existing research has suggested an association between insecure attachment styles and mental health difficulties, these studies often have small sample sizes, use cross-sectional designs, and measure attachment as a discrete variable at a single point or use romantic relationship attachment as a proxy for childhood attachment. It is also unclear whether these associations persist into late adolescence. In this large prospective study we aimed to determine whether an insecure attachment style measured at repeated points in early childhood, is associated with depression and self-harm at 18 years.MethodWe used data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children cohort. Mothers completed attachment related questionnaires when their child was 18, 30, and 42 months old. Offspring depression and lifetime self-harm was assessed at 18 years in clinic using the Clinical Interview Schedule-Revised. Attachment was derived as a continuous latent variable in a structural equation modelling framework. Logistic regression was performed on participants with complete attachment data (n = 7032) to examine the association between attachment style and depression and self-harm, with adjustment for potential confounders. Differential dropout was accounted for using multiple imputation.ResultWe found some evidence for an association between a more insecure attachment style in childhood, and a diagnosis of depression and life-time self-harm at age 18. In the fully adjusted imputed model, a one standard deviation increase in insecure attachment was associated with a 13% increase in the odds of depression (OR = 1.13; 95%CI = 1.00 to 1.27) and a 14% increase in the odds of self-harm at age 18 (OR = 1.14; 95%CI = 1.02 to 1.25), for children who had more insecure attachment in early childhood, compared with children who had more secure attachment.ConclusionThis is the largest longitudinal study to examine the prospective association between childhood attachment and depression and self-harm in late adolescence. Our findings strengthen the evidence suggesting that a childhood insecure attachment style is associated with mental health difficulties in late adolescence. Policies and interventions to support parenting behaviours that foster the development of secure attachment styles, or attachment-based therapies to improve attachment quality, could help reduce depression and self-harm in adolescence/young adulthood.Philippa Clery is supported by the Elizabeth Blackwell Institute for Health Research at the University of Bristol and the Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Fund.

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Internalised stigma in mental health: An investigation of the role of attachment style

Psychiatry Research ◽

10.1016/j.psychres.2018.03.047 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 270 ◽

pp. 1001-1009 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Simon Bradstreet ◽

Alyson Dodd ◽

Steven Jones

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Attachment Style

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Cyberstalking Victimization and Perpetration Among Young Adults

Recent Advances in Digital Media Impacts on Identity, Sexuality, and Relationships - Advances in Human and Social Aspects of Technology ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-1063-6.ch002 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 22-38

Author(s):

Argyroula Kalaitzaki

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Young Adults ◽

Attachment Style ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

The Impact

Cyberstalking is becoming more common among young adults. The aim of this study was to investigate (1) the prevalence, behaviours, and tactics of both victims and perpetrators of cyberstalking among a sample of Greek undergraduate students; (2) the correlates of victimization and perpetration of cyberstalking to personality, attachment style, and relating to others; and (3) the impact of cyberstalking on victims' mental health. Results showed that 23.9% of the students were victims and 9% were perpetrators, with females, disproportionately experiencing and inflicting cyberstalking. Negatively close relating (i.e., intrusive and possessive relating) increased the risk of perpetration, whereas relating to others distantly (suspicious and avoidant relating) decreased the risk of victimization. Agreeableness decreased the risk of perpetration. Mother's affectionless control increased the risk of both perpetration and victimization, and mother's neglectful parenting increased the risk of perpetrating cyberstalking. Fear, anxiety, and depression were reported by the victims.

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Cyberstalking Victimization and Perpetration among Greek College Students

Identity, Sexuality, and Relationships among Emerging Adults in the Digital Age - Advances in Human and Social Aspects of Technology ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-1856-3.ch015 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 247-261 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Argyroula Kalaitzaki

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

College Students ◽

Attachment Style ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

The Impact

Cyberstalking is a rapidly growing phenomenon, which is becoming more common among youth nowadays. The study aimed at investigating: 1) the prevalence, behaviors, and tactics of both victims and perpetrators among a sample of Greek undergraduate students, 2) the correlates of victimization and perpetration with personality, attachment style, and relating to others, and 3) the impact of cyberstalking on victims' mental health. Results showed that 23.9% of the students were victims and 9% were perpetrators, with females, disproportionately both experiencing and inflicting cyberstalking. Negatively close relating (i.e., intrusive, restrictive and possessive relating) increased the risk of cyberstalking perpetration, whereas negatively distant relating (suspicious, avoidant, and self-reliant relating) decreased the risk of cyberstalking victimization. Agreeableness decreased the risk of perpetration. Mother's affectionless control increased the risk of both perpetration and victimization and mother's neglectful parenting increased the risk of perpetration only.

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Perinatal mental health provision across the UK

Journal of Health Visiting ◽

10.12968/johv.2019.7.11.528 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (11) ◽

pp. 528-534

Author(s):

David Hancock

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Service Provision ◽

Perinatal Mental Health ◽

New Mothers ◽

Health Visitors ◽

The Uk

A critical report has found that many new mothers still do not know where to turn for help and support with their mental health. Dave Hancock looks into the implications for health visitors and service provision around the country

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The Dynamics of Becoming a Mother during Pregnancy and After Childbirth

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17010057 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

pp. 57 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Anna Zdolska-Wawrzkiewicz ◽

Mariola Bidzan ◽

Magdalena Chrzan-Dętkoś ◽

Daria Pizuńska

Keyword(s):

Attachment Style ◽

Support Groups ◽

Interaction Effect ◽

Maternal Attachment ◽

New Mothers ◽

Adjective Check List ◽

Self Image ◽

Maternal Fetal Attachment ◽

Becoming A Mother ◽

Fetal Attachment

Background: The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between one’s maternal attachment style and one’s self-image as a mother, image of one’s mother as a mother, and bond with the child over a period of several months. Methods: A total of 86 women took part in the study The Adjective Check List (ACL), Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ), Maternal–Fetal Attachment Scale (MFAS), and a modified version of the Experiences in Close Relationships (ECR) were used. Two measurements were used: during pregnancy and about six months after the birth of the child. Results: In terms of their self-image as mothers, the women had higher results the first time they took the questionnaire, regardless of their attachment style. An interaction effect was found between attachment style and the ‘need for changes’ scale. The image of one’s mother as a mother depended on the level of avoidance in attachment, regardless of the measurement. An interaction effect was found between attachment style and the scale of ‘personal adaptation’. There was a correlation between the bond with the child during pregnancy, the bond following birth, and the style of maternal attachment; the main predictor of the bond with the child after birth is the bond with the child during the pregnancy. Conclusion: Those who provide care for pregnant women and new mothers should be aware of the complex psychological processes in the transition to motherhood, have knowledge about perinatal mental health, and when necessary, refer women to specialists such as support groups for new mothers, trained midwives, psychologists, psychotherapists, or psychiatrists.

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Attachment, perceived social support and mental health problems in women with primary infertility

International Journal of Reproduction Contraception Obstetrics and Gynecology ◽

10.18203/2320-1770.ijrcog20192463 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (6) ◽

pp. 2533 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sadia Saleem ◽

Namra S. Qureshi ◽

Zahid Mahmood

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Support ◽

Attachment Style ◽

Attachment Styles ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Perceived Social Support ◽

Health Problems ◽

Depression Anxiety Stress Scale ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Attachment Pattern

Background: Infertility is one of the fastest growing concerns when it comes to reproductive health and most often, women get the blame. Consequently, females suffer from major psycho-social and emotional problems that may lead to serious mental health concerns.Methods: To fill the gap in literature, a cross-sectional research design was used to measure the attachment styles with spouse, perceived social support, and predict mental health problems in women attending infertility clinics with ages ranging from 19-45 (M 27.21, SD 4.79). Adult Attachment Questionnaire, Multidimensional Perceived Social Support, and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale were used among experimental subjects selected through purposive sampling technique.Results: About 32% women reported themselves as secure, 49% as ambivalent, and 19% as avoidant in their attachment style with spouse. The results revealed that a significant negative correlation exists between perceived social support and mental health problems among women with infertility. Moreover, women who identify their attachment pattern as Ambivalent perceive less social support and experience more mental health problems.Conclusions: Education is one of the strongest predictors of how likely infertility is to cause mental health issues while Attachment style is another strong indicator since infertile women with secure attachment pattern have fewer mental health problems. However, the sample size was modest to make any wide-scale assumptions, so further trials with larger participant pools must be performed. Additionally, future studies should include both rural and urban samples with different psychological variables to find the similarities and differences between various groups of people with diverse backgrounds.

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