Emotion regulation moderates relationships between body image concerns and psychological symptomatology

The study investigated the moderating role of emotion regulation (ER) in relationships between body image concerns and psychological symptomatology. A community sample of 533 boys and girls (11-20 years) completed measures assessing body image thoughts and feelings, domain-specific and general ER strategies, drive for thinness, and bulimic, depressive and anxiety symptoms. Results indicated that ER moderated relationships between body image concerns and both bulimic and depressive symptoms, but not relationships between body image concerns and drive for thinness or anxiety symptoms. Adolescents who reported frequent body image concerns were more likely to have higher levels of bulimic symptoms if they tended to use avoidance and internal dysfunctional ER strategies. Furthermore, adolescents who reported frequent body image concerns were more likely to have higher levels of depressive symptoms if they used positive rational acceptance and internal functional strategies infrequently. Implications of the findings for prevention and intervention are discussed.     

大学生依恋与心理弹性——情绪调节与元情绪的多重中介

对982名大学生的依恋、情绪调节策略、元情绪及心理弹性进行测查,考察依恋与心理弹性间关系的内在机制。结构方程模型分析结果显示：（1）依恋、情绪调节与元情绪均能显著预测心理弹性;（2）依恋焦虑通过认知重评和元情绪间接预测心理弹性;（3）依恋回避不但直接负向预测心理弹性,还会通过认知重评和元情绪间接预测心理弹性。本研究结果显示,情绪调节策略和元情绪能够解释依恋与心理弹性间关系的内在机制。     

Predictors of Anxiety and Depression in Emerging Adulthood

This study constructed a multifactorial model predicting depression and anxiety symptoms among emerging adults, incorporating broad constructs representing adult attachment style, perceived trauma, self-esteem, and irrational beliefs. In the final structural equation model, attachment avoidance and perceived trauma demonstrated direct and indirect effects, whereas attachment anxiety predicted depression only indirectly through low self-esteem or irrational beliefs, and chronic anxiety. Chronic anxiety played a crucial role in linking low self-esteem and irrational beliefs to depression. The theoretical and clinical implications of the findings are discussed.     

Attachment Patterns as Mediators of the Link Between Combat Exposure and Posttraumatic Symptoms: A Study Among Portuguese War Veterans

We analyzed the role of both attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance as a mediators of the effects of combat exposure on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Participants were Portuguese veterans (N = 60) divided into 2 groups: 30 suffered from chronic PTSD (nonrecovered) and 30 had remission from PTSD (recovered). Combat exposure, attachment patterns, and PTSD symptoms were assessed through self-report measures. Mediation test was performed by conducting several hierarchical regression analyses. Results showed higher attachment anxiety among nonrecovered participants. We did not find statistically significant differences between groups for both attachment avoidance and combat exposure level scores. In mediation analysis, at first step, attachment avoidance was not a significant predictor of PTSD symptoms, and attachment avoidance did not enter in subsequent analysis. Attachment anxiety was a partial mediator of the effect of combat exposure on PTSD symptoms. Implications of the findings for both attachment theory and clinical intervention on trauma are discussed.     

The role of depressogenic personality and attachment in the intergenerational similarity of depressive symptoms: a study with early adolescents and their mothers

Parental depression has been identified as a risk factor for psychopathology in children, and for child depression in particular. Increasingly, research is addressing the underlying psychological processes that may explain the intergenerational similarity of depressive symptoms. In the present study, we aim to investigate the role of two theoretically relevant vulnerability factors in this intergenerational similarity, that is, (a) dimensions of depressogenic personality (i.e., sociotropy and autonomy) and (b) dimensions of attachment (i.e., anxiety and avoidance). Results in a sample of early adolescents and their mothers show significant intergenerational similarity in both sets of vulnerabilities. Moreover, the intergenerational similarity of both vulnerability factors was found to account for the association between mothers' and children's depressive symptoms. Within each generation there were also meaningful and specific associations between dimensions of depressogenic personality and dimensions of attachment, with sociotropy being primarily related to anxiety and with autonomy being primarily related to avoidance.     

Differential effects of maternal- and paternal-adolescent attachments on friendship security and intimacy

The present study examined the differential contributions of adolescent-reported maternal and paternal attachment anxiety and avoidance on friendship security and intimacy. Participants were 776 Canadian adolescents between the ages of 13 and 19 years (M = 15.18, SD = 1.58) who provided ratings of their perceived attachment avoidance and anxiety towards their mothers and fathers and responded to measures of friendship security and intimacy. Findings showed that maternal and paternal attachment avoidance and not anxiety negatively predicted friendship security. Moreover, maternal attachment avoidance was negatively associated with friendship intimacy. Multigroup analyses showed that security was negatively predicted by maternal anxious attachment for junior high school boys and girls. Additionally, paternal avoidant attachment was negatively associated with friendship intimacy for junior high school boys and girls. These findings highlight the unique effects associated with maternal and paternal attachment on specific friendship features and underscore the importance of the role of fathers in adolescence.     

The contributions of interpersonal attachment and friendship group identification to depressive symptoms in a nonclinical sample

Drawing on previous literature from the separate areas of adult attachment and group processes, we explored attachment and group identification as predictors for depressive symptoms in a nonclinical sample. We found that attachment anxiety and friendship group identification predicted scores on the Beck Depression Inventory, such that higher attachment anxiety resulted in higher depressive symptoms, and greater friendship group identification resulted in lower depressive symptoms. Mediational analysis suggested that group identification partially mediated the effect of attachment avoidance on depressive symptoms, but did not mediate the effect of attachment anxiety on depressive symptoms.     

Individual and gender differences in mindful parenting: The role of attachment and caregiving representations

The current study aimed to investigate the mediating role of caregiving representations in the association between attachment representations and mindful parenting. Additionally, this study explored differences between mothers and fathers in attachment and caregiving representations and in mindful parenting and tested whether the proposed model was invariant across genders. A sample of 439 parents (67% mothers) of school-aged children completed measures of attachment-related anxiety and avoidance, caregiving representations, and mindful parenting. Path analyses showed that attachment anxiety was associated with lower levels of mindful parenting through a lower perceived ability to recognize others' needs and more egoistic motivations to provide help. In turn, attachment avoidance was associated with lower levels of mindful parenting through a lower perceived ability to provide help and to evaluate others as worthy of help. The path model was invariant across genders, although fathers presented higher levels of avoidance, more egoistic motivations to provide help, lower perceived ability to recognize others' needs, and lower levels of mindful parenting than mothers. This study demonstrates that attachment representations play a critical role in parents' ability to be mindful in their relationship with their children, although through different caregiving pathways.     

Developmental Trajectories of Anxiety Symptoms in Early Adolescence: The Influence of Anxiety Sensitivity

Children and adolescents seem to suffer from anxiety disorders at rates similar to adults. Interestingly, anxiety symptoms appear to generally decline over time within children as evidenced by lower rates in early and middle adolescence. There is some evidence that there may be heterogeneous subpopulations of adolescent children with different trajectories of anxiety symptoms, including a class of adolescents with elevated levels of anxiety that do not dissipate over time. Anxiety sensitivity has been identified as an important risk factor in the development of anxiety psychopathology. This study prospectively examined the development of anxiety symptoms in a sample of 277 adolescents (M _age?=?11.52; 44 % female, 56 % male) over a 3 year period including the influence of anxiety sensitivity on this development. Further, this study investigated whether there were distinct classes of adolescents based on their anxiety symptom trajectories and including anxiety sensitivity as a predictor. Consistent with other reports, findings indicated an overall decline in anxiety symptoms over time in the sample. However, three classes of adolescents were found with distinct anxiety symptom trajectories and anxiety sensitivity was an important predictor of class membership. Adolescents with elevated anxiety sensitivity scores were more likely to be classified as having high and increasing anxiety symptoms over time versus having moderate to low and decreasing anxiety symptoms over time. There are important implications for identification of adolescents and children who are at risk for the development of an anxiety disorder.     

The role of illness perceptions in the attachment-related process of affect regulation

Abstract

Based on the predictions of the attachment theory and the Common Sense Model of illness perceptions, the current study focused on the role played by illness perceptions in explaining the path linking attachment orientations to negative affect during recovery from cardiac illness. We predicted two putative mechanisms: (1) illness perceptions would mediate the direct association between attachment-related insecurity (especially attachment anxiety) and levels of distress at follow-up and (2) illness perceptions would interact with attachment orientations (attachment avoidance in particular) in explaining patients' distress. The sample consisted of 111 male patients admitted to the Cardiac Care Unit of the Meir Medical Center, located in the central region of Israel. Patients completed a measure of attachment orientations during hospitalization (baseline). One month later, patients' illness perceptions were measured. Patients' depression and anxiety symptoms were measured at baseline and at the six-month follow-up. The associations between attachment-related anxiety and anxiety symptoms at follow-up were fully mediated by illness perceptions. Attachment-related avoidance was found to interact with illness perceptions in the prediction of depressive symptoms at follow-up. The findings shed light on the possible dynamics among personality, cognitive appraisals, and affect regulation efforts when coping with illness.     

Psychometric properties of the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire: Chinese version

The aim of the present study was to develop a Chinese version of the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ-C) and to examine its psychometric properties in a sample of Chinese university students. The English version of the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire was translated and back-translated prior to its administration to 791 participants recruited from two universities in Changsha, Hunan (China). Internal consistency, test–retest reliability, inter-scale reliability, and factorial validity were analysed. The CERQ-C exhibited: (1) moderate internal consistency (Cronbach's α=.83); (2) a mean inter-class correlation coefficient of .79; (3) a mean inter-item correlation coefficient of .09; and (4) moderate test–retest reliability (.64). Confirmatory factor analyses supported the original CERQ nine-factor model. Finally, with respect to criterion validity, several CERQ-C subscales were uniquely associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety.     

Romantic attachment,sexual activity,and substance use: findings from substance‐using runaway adolescents

Research on adolescent attachment is limited, but is growing. Studies to date have focused primarily on high‐functioning, college student samples with minimal attention given to at‐risk, early adolescents. The current study assessed the relationship between sexual activity, substance use, physical and sexual abuse, and attachment avoidance and anxiety in a sample of substance using, runaway youth. Seventy‐three adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 years were recruited from a local runaway shelter. The main finding was that attachment avoidance was related to a later age at first use of marijuana. Results provide some support for the utility of the attachment framework in understanding problem behaviors among runaway adolescents. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.     

Attachment and depressive symptoms in middle childhood and early adolescence: Testing the validity of the emotion regulation model of attachment

This research examines differential associations between attachment dimensions (anxiety and avoidance) and emotion regulation (ER) strategies (dysregulation and suppression) in middle childhood and early adolescence. Furthermore, the study investigates how attachment and ER relate to depressive symptoms and perceived parenting. Two cross‐sectional studies (N = 339 and N = 746) supported the hypothesized associations between attachment anxiety and avoidance and emotional dysregulation and suppression, respectively. Mixed evidence was found for ER as a mediator in associations between attachment and depressive symptoms. Study 2 found that parental responsiveness and autonomy‐support are related differentially to the attachment dimensions. The Discussion focuses on the dynamics involved in associations between parenting, attachment, ER, and depression and on directions for future research.     

The interaction of perfectionism, perceived weight status, and self-esteem to predict bulimic symptoms: the role of 'benign' perfectionism

The present study sought to replicate an interactive model of global perfectionism, perceived weight status, and self-esteem in predicting bulimic symptom development in a sample of young women [Bardone-Cone, et al. (2006). Predicting bulimic symptoms: An interactive model of self-efficacy, perfectionism, and perceived weight status. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 44, 27-42; Vohs, K. D., et al. (1999). Perfectionism, perceived weight status, and self-esteem interact to predict bulimic symptoms: A model of bulimic symptom development. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 108, 695-700; Vohs, K. D., et al. (2001). Perfectionism, body dissatisfaction, and self-esteem: An interactive model of bulimic symptom development. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 20, 476-497]. The aim was to investigate the role of 'problematic' and 'benign' perfectionism within this model, using data from 95 female university students over a 3-month period. Contrary to hypotheses, multivariate analyses revealed a significant three-way interaction only between 'benign' perfectionism, perceived weight status and self-esteem in predicting change in bulimic symptoms over a 3-month period. The predictive effect of the interaction between 'benign' perfectionism and perceived weight status on bulimic symptoms was strongest for women with high self-esteem, for whom feeling overweight and having perfectionistic attitudes preceded increased bulimic symptoms. These findings suggest that high self-esteem is insufficient to protect against the development of bulimic symptoms when both the perception of oneself as being overweight, and high levels of perfectionistic standards, are present. It would appear that the role of perfectionism within the context of disordered eating is complex.     

Emotion dysregulation and adolescent psychopathology: a prospective study

Background

Emotion regulation deficits have been consistently linked to psychopathology in cross-sectional studies. However, the direction of the relationship between emotion regulation and psychopathology is unclear. This study examined the longitudinal and reciprocal relationships between emotion regulation deficits and psychopathology in adolescents.

Methods

Emotion dysregulation and symptomatology (depression, anxiety, aggressive behavior, and eating pathology) were assessed in a large, diverse sample of adolescents (N = 1065) at two time points separated by seven months. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the longitudinal and reciprocal relationships between emotion dysregulation and symptoms of psychopathology.

Results

The three distinct emotion processes examined here (emotional understanding, dysregulated expression of sadness and anger, and ruminative responses to distress) formed a unitary latent emotion dysregulation factor. Emotion dysregulation predicted increases in anxiety symptoms, aggressive behavior, and eating pathology after controlling for baseline symptoms but did not predict depressive symptoms. In contrast, none of the four types of psychopathology predicted increases in emotion dysregulation after controlling for baseline emotion dysregulation.

Conclusions

Emotion dysregulation appears to be an important transdiagnostic factor that increases risk for a wide range of psychopathology outcomes in adolescence. These results suggest targets for preventive interventions during this developmental period of risk.     

Daily variations in attachment anxiety and avoidance: A density distributions approach

Attachment theory proposes that experiences of acceptance and rejection will modify feelings of attachment security, but such processes have rarely been investigated. In this study, daily variations in attachment anxiety and avoidance were investigated across 7 days in a sample of college undergraduates currently in romantic relationships. We observed significant within-person variation in attachment avoidance and anxiety. Participants reported lower anxiety and avoidance on days on which they felt more accepted by their romantic partners. Further, perceptions of acceptance predicted the following day’s attachment security through lower negative mood. Greater variability in attachment avoidance and anxiety was associated with greater physical aggression in relationships.     

Adolescent attachment insecurity and parasympathetic functioning predict future loss adjustment

Losing a close relationship is highly stressful and a robust predictor of major depression in adolescents. The current study examined relationships between attachment insecurity, parasympathetic nervous system activity, indexed by respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), and adolescent adjustment to the loss of a close social partner. Adolescents with more attachment anxiety to their mother at age 14 were more likely to report poorer adjustment to a subsequent loss than adolescents with less attachment anxiety. Attachment avoidance interacted with stress-induced changes in RSA to predict loss adjustment. Among adolescents with higher RSA in response to the stressor, those with more attachment avoidance reported better loss adjustment, whereas among adolescents with lower RSA in response to the stressor, those with more attachment avoidance reported poorer loss adjustment. In sum, the combination of attachment insecurity and stress-induced changes in RSA predicted how well adolescents adjusted to a loss.     

从强迫运动到进食障碍症状:依恋的中介效应

目的:考察在校大学生依恋关系在强迫运动与进食障碍症状之间的中介效应。方法:研究一和研究二采用问卷调查法分别对466名男大学生和334名女大学生的依恋焦虑、依恋回避水平、强迫运动和进食障碍临床症状进行考察,通过分层回归检验依恋焦虑和依恋回避在强迫运动与进食障碍症状间的中介效应,并用Bootstrap法对中介效应进行验证。结果:在男女大学生中强迫运动可显著预测进食障碍症状; 在男生当中,依恋的两个维度依恋焦虑和依恋回避在强迫运动与进食障碍间的部分中介作用显著; 在女生当中,仅依恋焦虑起到部分中介作用。结论:强迫运动是进食障碍症状的重要风险因子,可通过依恋关系的中介作用影响进食障碍症状,依恋关系对强迫运动与进食障碍症状之间关系的中介效应具有性别差异。     

The relationship between psychopathic traits and attachment behavior in a non-clinical population

Attachment processes have been proposed to play a key role in the development of the core features of psychopathy (Fowles & Dindo, 2006). The findings reported in the literature regarding the associations between attachment and psychopathic traits are far from conclusive, especially in non-clinical populations. The present study investigated the relationship between self-reported attachment behavior and psychopathic traits in a college sample. Two-hundred nine participants completed the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised scale and the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy scale. Controlling for gender and race, hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that individuals high in both attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety had higher primary psychopathy scores. Both individuals high in attachment avoidance and individuals high in attachment anxiety had higher secondary psychopathy scores. Implications of these findings for future research and clinical practice are discussed.