Feeling Not Wanted/Loved and Depression: Does Gender Matter?

Depression affects over 17 million American adults yearly and has been identified as the leading cause of disability in people between the ages of 15 and 44 years. There is evidence that feeling neglect or a lack of parental attachment during childhood is associated with depression. One construct that has been overlooked is love from a parent. The purpose of this study was to analyze the association between individuals who felt not wanted/loved during adolescence and lifetime depression and to examine this association by gender. We examined 5114 participants aged 24–32 years at Wave IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) public use dataset. We used logistic regression analysis to determine the association between an individual feeling not wanted/loved by their parent/caregiver prior to age 18, covariates, and lifetime depression. We then stratified by gender and ran logistic models for both men and women separately. Overall, 16.2% ( n = 827) reported lifetime depression diagnosis, while 16.5% of the participants reported feeling not wanted/loved “often,” while 29.8% reported it as “sometimes.” Feeling not wanted/loved “often” was associated with higher odds of depression (AOR = 3.00; 95% CI, 2.45–3.66; p < .001) versus “sometimes” (AOR = 1.59; 95% CI, 1.31–1.90; p < .001). When stratified by gender, feeling not loved/wanted was associated with depression among both men (AOR = 3.70; 95% CI, 2.60–5.25; p < .001) and women (AOR = 2.73; 95% CI, 2.13–3.48; p < .001). Feeling not loved or wanted by a parent/caregiver during adolescence has serious implications, for both men and women. Future studies should further examine this construct and identify family-based interventions that focus on parent/caregiver and child relationships.

Effects of a group music-based intervention in improving attachment and psychosocial adaptation in adolescents with parental attachment insecurity: A randomized trial

The effects of a group music-based intervention on attachment and psychosocial adaptation in adolescents with parental attachment insecurity were examined in Taiwan. A randomized controlled trial with a pre–post and follow-up design was performed. The music group ( N = 28) attended a 40-min session twice weekly for 10 weeks. The nonmusic group ( N = 28) received health education. The groups underwent a parental attachment and psychosocial adaptation assessment before and after the music intervention and at the 1-week follow-up. The results were analyzed using paired-samples t-tests and a mixed analysis of variance. Fifty-four participants completed both the pre- and posttests and were included in the final data analysis. The interaction effect was statistically significant, parental attachment, F(1.07, 25.81) = 8.18, p < .005, η2 = .14; and psychosocial maladaptation, F(1.30, 31.93) = 8.01, p < .01, η2 = .13, scores, implying a successful intervention. A significant difference in the postintervention parental attachment, F(1.03, 25.81) = 19.19, p < .001, and psychosocial maladaptation, F(1.28, 31.93) = 14.22, p < .001, scores was found between the music and nonmusic groups. The present study confirmed that group music-based interventions may effectively improve adolescents’ parental attachment and mitigate their psychosocial maladaptation.

Attachment to God in a Collectivistic Context and its Impact on Perceived Stress

Introduction: Research indicates that attachment to God is correlated with parental attachment and perceived stress. However, these relationships have not been studied outside the Western context. The present research evaluated the relationship between attachment to God and attachment to parents within different family systems and the impact of these attachments on perceived stress. Methods: A sample of 284 Christian undergraduate students was surveyed. The data were collected from the participants through convenience sampling. Relationships between attachment to parents, attachment to God, religiosity, and perceived stress were studied. Results: A significant positive relationship between attachment to parents and to God was found for the nuclear family system on the anxiety subscale. For the avoidance subscale, both nuclear and joint family systems had significant positive relationships between parental attachment and attachment to God; however, it was stronger for joint family systems. The multiple regression analysis showed parental avoidance (β = .256, p <.001) and God anxiety (β = .281, p <.001) as the strongest predictors of stress. Discussion: The findings highlight the impact of collectivistic cultural values, particularly the importance of relationships. The implications include the significance of the impact of culture on attachment relationships and the finding that attachment correlates with lower levels of perceived stress. The research also shows the difference in attachment styles depending upon the family system the participant belongs to which can again be attributed to cultural norms and values.

Attached to Technology: Exploring Young Adults’ Attachments to Parents, Partners, and Phones

Cell phone use has become a mainstay in the lives of young adults, with 93% of Millennials owning a smartphone. With the increased accessibility of technology, individuals’ cell phone use may lead to personal distress in various facets of life. Specifically, problematic cell phone use may be the result of attempts to fulfill emotional needs or avoid connection with others. The present study used a systemic, attachment-based lens to investigate the roles of parental and romantic attachment in problematic cell phone use. A sample of 479 young adults (ages 18–26) completed an online survey gauging their cell phone use and attachment styles. Mediation analyzes were run to determine if adult attachment mediates the relationship from parental attachment to problematic cell phone use. The results found that attachment anxiety mediates the relationship between communication and alienation subscales for mother and alienation only for father to problematic cell phone use. Clinical implications are discussed with results informing assessment, prevention, and intervention efforts for individuals, families, and couples.

Impact of Family Functioning, Family Violence and Other Factors on Juvenile Delinquency

Background: Juvenile delinquency is the act of participating in unlawful behavior as minors or individuals younger than the age of majority. Nepal shows an increasing trend of violent crimes committed by a juvenile. Objective: To examine the impact of family functioning, family violence, and other family factors on juvenile delinquency. Materials and Methods: The study is a case-control study based on primary data collection of 354 respondents which include equal number of juvenile delinquents as cases taken from juvenile correction homes and school students as controls who have never been convicted for any act of juvenile delinquency. Data was collected through the convenience sampling method. Structured questionnaire was used to collect data on demographic, socioeconomic, individual and family factors. Bivariate and logistic regression analysis were performed to determine which factor act as a risk or protective factor for juvenile delinquency. Results: From bivariate analysis, family factors such as family functioning, parental monitoring, parental involvement, parental supervision, and parental attachment were found higher in controls than cases. However, family violence was found higher in cases than control group. Further, from fitted logistic regression child age, aggressive behavior, family structure, family financial condition, punitive parenthood, mother education level, and parental attachment were found significant factors impacting on juvenile delinquency. Conclusion: This study revealed that age, aggressive behavior, family structure, and family financial condition are the risk factors for juvenile delinquency. Further, mother education, punitive parenthood, and parental attachment are found protective factors for juvenile delinquency.

Reciprocal risk: The longitudinal relationship between emotion regulation and non-suicidal self-injury

<p>Poor emotion regulation has been highlighted as a potential risk factor for the development and maintenance of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI; Fox et al., 2015). However, longitudinal research tracking the relationship between emotion regulation and NSSI during adolescence is limited. In addition, the conceptual argument that NSSI may in turn be a risk factor for poor emotion regulation (Gratz, 2003), remains largely untested. Three studies, all drawn from the Youth Wellbeing Study, were conducted to investigate the developmental relationship between emotion regulation and NSSI during adolescence. Study One established the psychometric properties of the Emotion Regulation Index for Children and Adolescents in a large sample of adolescents and validated the self-report measure for use in Studies Two and Three. Study Two assessed the longitudinal relationship between emotion regulation and NSSI within a cohort of young adolescents across a three year period. Consistent with previous research, poor emotion regulation predicted subsequent engagement in NSSI for both boys and girls, suggesting that poor emotion regulation may be causally implicated in the development of NSSI behaviours. Critically, this relationship was reciprocal; engaging in NSSI also predicted poorer subsequent emotion regulation. Study Three tests the hypothesis that NSSI ‘damages’ emotion regulation by impairing the interpersonal relationships which underlie the development of emotion regulation skills. Using a quasi-longitudinal multiple mediation analysis, the combination of Time Two Parental Attachment and Time Two Peer Attachment were found to fully mediate the relationship between Time One NSSI and Time Three Emotion Regulation, emphasising the primacy of these relationships during adolescence. This research is the first to empirically demonstrate the reciprocal complexity of the relationship between emotion regulation and NSSI, suggesting that the dynamic relationship between these two factors underlies the development of NSSI during adolescence.</p>

Reciprocal risk: The longitudinal relationship between emotion regulation and non-suicidal self-injury

<p>Poor emotion regulation has been highlighted as a potential risk factor for the development and maintenance of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI; Fox et al., 2015). However, longitudinal research tracking the relationship between emotion regulation and NSSI during adolescence is limited. In addition, the conceptual argument that NSSI may in turn be a risk factor for poor emotion regulation (Gratz, 2003), remains largely untested. Three studies, all drawn from the Youth Wellbeing Study, were conducted to investigate the developmental relationship between emotion regulation and NSSI during adolescence. Study One established the psychometric properties of the Emotion Regulation Index for Children and Adolescents in a large sample of adolescents and validated the self-report measure for use in Studies Two and Three. Study Two assessed the longitudinal relationship between emotion regulation and NSSI within a cohort of young adolescents across a three year period. Consistent with previous research, poor emotion regulation predicted subsequent engagement in NSSI for both boys and girls, suggesting that poor emotion regulation may be causally implicated in the development of NSSI behaviours. Critically, this relationship was reciprocal; engaging in NSSI also predicted poorer subsequent emotion regulation. Study Three tests the hypothesis that NSSI ‘damages’ emotion regulation by impairing the interpersonal relationships which underlie the development of emotion regulation skills. Using a quasi-longitudinal multiple mediation analysis, the combination of Time Two Parental Attachment and Time Two Peer Attachment were found to fully mediate the relationship between Time One NSSI and Time Three Emotion Regulation, emphasising the primacy of these relationships during adolescence. This research is the first to empirically demonstrate the reciprocal complexity of the relationship between emotion regulation and NSSI, suggesting that the dynamic relationship between these two factors underlies the development of NSSI during adolescence.</p>

The Mediating Effect of the satisfaction of Basic Psychological Needs on the Relationship between Undergraduate Students‘ Parental Attachment and College Life Adjustment

The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating effect of the satisfaction of basic psychological needs on the relationship between college students’ parental attachment and college life adjustment. Participants comprised 235 college students enrolled in five universities located in the Gwangju and Jeonnam areas. To assess the mediating effects, correlation analysis and hierarchical regression analysis were performed using SPSS 25.0. The results were as follows: first, significant positive correlations were observed between parental attachment, satisfaction of basic psychological needs, and college life adjustment; second, satisfaction of basic psychological needs partially mediated the relationship between parental attachment and college life adjustment. This indicates that the satisfaction of basic psychological needs – such as autonomy, competence, and relatedness – is extremely important in enabling college students to adjust to college life.