Major depression as a predictor of the intergenerational transmission of attachment security: Findings from a pregnancy cohort study

2021 ◽  
pp. 000486742110607
Author(s):  
Megan Galbally ◽  
Stuart J Watson ◽  
Anne Tharner ◽  
Maartje Luijk ◽  
Gaynor Blankley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Major Depression ◽  
Adult Attachment ◽  
Attachment Security ◽  
Maternal Sensitivity ◽  
Adult Attachment Interview ◽  
Insecure Attachment ◽  
Parent Attachment ◽  
Strange Situation ◽  
Infant Attachment ◽  
Strange Situation Procedure

Objective: Understanding the relationship between attachment and mental health has an important role in informing management of perinatal mental disorders and for infant mental health. It has been suggested that experiences of attachment are transmitted from one generation to the next. Maternal sensitivity has been proposed as a mediator, although findings have not been as strong as hypothesised. A meta-analysis suggested that this intergenerational transmission of attachment may vary across populations with lower concordance between parent and infant attachment classifications in clinical compared to community samples. However, no previous study has examined major depression and adult attachment in pregnancy as predictors of infant–parent attachment classification at 12 months postpartum. Methods: Data were obtained on 52 first-time mothers recruited in early pregnancy, which included 22 women who met diagnostic criteria for current major depression using the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The Adult Attachment Interview was also administered before 20 weeks of pregnancy. A history of early trauma was measured using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and maternal sensitivity was measured at 6 months postpartum using the observational measure of the Emotional Availability Scales. Infant–parent attachment was measured using the Strange Situation Procedure at 12 months. Results: Overall, we found no significant association between the Adult Attachment Interview and the Strange Situation Procedure classifications. However, a combination of maternal non-autonomous attachment on the Adult Attachment Interview and major depression was a significant predictor of insecure attachment on the Strange Situation Procedure. We did not find that maternal sensitivity mediated parental and infant attachment security in this sample. Conclusion: While previous meta-analyses identified lower concordance in clinical samples, our findings suggest women with major depression and non-autonomous attachment have a greater concordance with insecure attachment on the Strange Situation Procedure. These findings can guide future research and suggest a focus on depression in pregnancy may be important for subsequent infant attachment.

Intervention in Transmission of Insecure Attachment: A Case Study

1997 ◽  
Vol 80 (2) ◽  
pp. 531-543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Femmie Juffer ◽  
Marinus H. van Ijzendoorn ◽  
Marian J. Bakermans-Kranenburg
Keyword(s):  
Adult Attachment ◽  
Adult Attachment Interview ◽  
Insecure Attachment ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Strange Situation ◽  
Parental Sensitivity ◽  
Home Based ◽  
Mother Attachment ◽  
Home Based Intervention

Several attachment-based intervention studies have been performed, with varying success. An important question is whether short-term interventions can be successful in promoting parental sensitivity and security of infant-parent attachment as well as in changing parental representations of attachment. We investigated this issue in an exploratory way in a case study. A short-term home-based intervention with written material and video feedback, which was effective regarding parental sensitivity and infant security in a former study, was provided a parent who revealed an insecure attachment representation in the Adult Attachment Interview. The intervention sessions were expanded with discussions about past and present experiences of attachment. After four intervention sessions the mother's behavior towards her child was rated as more sensitive than before the intervention. Also, the infant-mother attachment, as observed in the Strange Situation, appeared to be more secure. Nevertheless, in a second Adult Attachment Interview administered after the intervention, the mother showed again an insecure representation of attachment. Possible implications of these results are discussed.

Bridging the attachment transmission gap: The role of maternal mind-mindedness

2003 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 355-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annie Bernier ◽  
Mary Dozier
Keyword(s):  
Intergenerational Transmission ◽  
Adult Attachment ◽  
Foster Children ◽  
Predictive Power ◽  
Attachment Security ◽  
Infant Attachment ◽  
Attachment Research ◽  
State Of Mind ◽  
Age Appropriate

The intergenerational transmission of attachment patterns is one of the most reliable yet least understood findings of attachment research. The aim of this report was to examine the capacity of maternal mind-mindedness to account for the relation between adult attachment state of mind and infant attachment security. Sixty-four foster children (aged 6–30 months) participated with their foster mothers. The mother’s tendency to use mental features in describing her child (mindmindedness) was negatively related to the security of both maternal state of mind and infant attachment. Further, mind-mindedness accounted for the totality of the predictive power of state of mind on infant attachment. The results suggest that age-appropriate representations of the child may help explain intergenerational transmission, through their interplay with parental interactive behaviours.

scholarly journals Ecological Constraints for Intergenerational Transmission of Attachment

1997 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 287-299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abraham Sagi ◽  
Marinus H. van IJzendoorn ◽  
Miri Scharf ◽  
Tirtsa Joels ◽  
Nina Koren-Karie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intergenerational Transmission ◽  
Adult Attachment ◽  
Adult Attachment Interview ◽  
Child Rearing ◽  
Attachment Representations ◽  
Ecological Constraints ◽  
Strange Situation ◽  
Home Based ◽  
Sleeping Arrangements

To determine whether the transmission of attachment across generations is free from contextual constraints, adult attachment representations were assessed in two kibbutz settings, home-based and communal sleeping. It was hypothesised that under extreme child-rearing circumstances, such as the communal sleeping arrangement, the transmission of attachment is not evident, whereas in the more regular home-based environment the expected transmission of attachment will be found. The participants were 45 mothers and 45 infants, about equal numbers of boys and girls, from 20 kibbutz infant houses with communal sleeping arrangements, and from 25 kibbutz infant houses with home-based sleeping arrangements. Mothers were administered the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI), and infants were assessed through the Ainsworth Strange Situation. Among the home-based pairs, a correspondence of 76% was found between AAI and Strange Situation classifications, whereas the correspondence was only 40% in the communal sleeping group. It is argued that living in a communal sleeping arrangement reduces the expected transmission of attachment.

scholarly journals Parental Attachment and Children's Socio-emotional Development: Some Findings on the Validity of the Adult Attachment Interview in The Netherlands

1991 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 375-394 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marinus H. van Ijzendoorn ◽  
Marian J. Kranenburg ◽  
Hylda A. Zwart-Woudstra ◽  
Agnes M. van Busschbach ◽  
Mirjam W.E. Lambermon
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Adult Attachment ◽  
Emotional Development ◽  
Parental Attachment ◽  
Parental Bonding ◽  
Maternal Sensitivity ◽  
Free Play ◽  
Adult Attachment Interview ◽  
Parental Bonding Instrument ◽  
Ego Resilience

In this study, the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) was applied in The Netherlands, to test certain aspects of its validity, and to provide information about its relation to toddlers' socio-emotional adaptation. In the second year of life, a sample of 80 infants were seen with their father, mother, and professional caregiver in the Strange Situation procedure, and in a free-play situation to assess caregivers' sensitivity. Two years later, 68 children participated in a follow-up study, involving mothers, fathers, and professional caregivers. Parents were interviewed with the AAI, and completed the Parental Bonding Instrument that measures attachment experiences in childhood. Parents also completed the Nijmegen-California Q-sort, to measure their children's ego-resilience and ego-control. Professional caregivers rated children's sociability in pre-school using the Pre-School Behavior Inventory. As predicted the AAI and the Parental Bonding Instrument were related. Only the AAI, however, yielded classifications that corresponded with the quality of infant-parent attachment. Furthermore, AAI classifications for mothers were related to maternal sensitivity: Secure mothers are more sensitive to their daughters than insecure mothers, but for boys this was not true. In addition, AAI classifications for parents were related to their children's socio-emotional development in the pre-school years. Secure mothers have children with more ego-resilience and less ego-undercontrol. Dismissing fathers have children who are rated as more aggressive, less social, and less timid than secure or preoccupied fathers. The AAI appears to be a promising instrument for measuring parental state of mind with respect to attachment relationships in a variety of natural settings.

The effects of child maltreatment and polymorphisms of the serotonin transporter and dopamine D4 receptor genes on infant attachment and intervention efficacy

2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 357-372 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dante Cicchetti ◽  
Fred A. Rogosch ◽  
Sheree L. Toth
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Serotonin Transporter ◽  
Attachment Security ◽  
Variable Number Tandem Repeat ◽  
Variable Number ◽  
Strange Situation ◽  
Infant Attachment ◽  
Intervention Efficacy ◽  
D4 Receptor ◽  
The Stability

AbstractThis investigation examined the extent to which polymorphisms of the serotonin transporter linked promoter region (5-HTTLPR) and the dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4) genes differentially influenced the development of attachment security and disorganization in maltreated and nonmaltreated infants at age 13 months, and the extent to which the efficacy of preventive interventions to promote attachment security were influenced by genetic variation. The sample consisted of 106 infants from maltreating families, participating in a randomized control trial evaluating the efficacy of two interventions, child–parent psychotherapy and psychoeducational parenting intervention, and 47 infants from nonmaltreating families. DNA samples were genotyped for polymorphisms of5-HTTLPR,DRD4exon III variable number tandem repeat, andDRD4-521. Attachment organization at age 1 and at age 2 was assessed with the Strange Situation for all participants, prior to and following the completion of the interventions. High rates of disorganized attachment were observed in the maltreatment compared to the nonmaltreatment group, and both interventions resulted in increased rates of attachment security at age 2. Genetic variation did not influence improvement in attachment organization among maltreated infants. Among maltreated infants, genetic variation had minimal effect on attachment organization. In contrast, among nonmaltreated infants,5-HTTLPRandDRD4polymorphisms influenced attachment security and disorganization at age 2 and the stability of attachment disorganization over time.

Similarities and Differences in Mothers’ and Observers’ Descriptions of Attachment Behaviours

1997 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 599-619 ◽  
Author(s):  
George M. Tarabulsy ◽  
Effie Avgoustis ◽  
Jennifer Phillips ◽  
David R. Pederson ◽  
Greg Moran
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Parental Stress ◽  
Attachment Security ◽  
Maternal Sensitivity ◽  
Analysis Of Covariance ◽  
Infant Temperament ◽  
Strange Situation ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
Different Sources

This report concerns the similarities and differences between maternal and observer Attachment Q-Set (AQS) security scores for 41 preterm and 38 fullterm infants. The following variables were assessed: maternal sensitivity (8 months); parental stress (8 months); mother- and observer-derived AQS measures of attachment security and dependency (12 months); and infant temperament (18 months). “Strange situations” were recorded at 18 months. Previous analyses of these data had shown that although mother and observer AQS security scores were correlated ( r = .55), only observer scores converged with the strange situation. Two additional series of analyses were carried out. The first revealed that AQS security scores of sensitive mothers, but not those of less sensitive mothers, are correlated with those of observers. Maternal sensitivity was unrelated to the lack of correspondence between mothers’ AQS scores and strange situation classification. Second, a factor analysis of the above variables revealed that while observers’ sensitivity and attachment security scores and mothers’ security scores loaded on to a Relationship Security factor, mothers’ security ratings also loaded on to an Infant Fussiness factor. This finding suggests that although both mothers and observers focus on items indicative of security when completing the AQS, mothers may place an additional emphasis on fussiness-related items. Further support for this suggestion was found in an analysis of covariance. When variance attributed to fussiness-related items of the AQS was partialed out of the mother-derived security score, the residual mapped on to the secure/nonsecure distinction in the strange situation. However, fussiness was unrelated to the mother-observer AQS correlation, indicating that different sources of variance may be involved in the mother-observer AQS correlation and in the correspondence between mothers’ AQS scores and the strange situation.

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