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Disengaged parenting: Structural equation modeling with child abuse, insecure attachment, and adult symptomatology
Abstract
Based on attachment theory, we hypothesized that self-reported childhood experiences of disengaged parenting (DP) would predict adults' psychological symptoms even more than, on average, childhood sexual, physical, or psychological abuse. In a large (N = 640) university sample, bootstrapped multiple regression analyses indicated that although various forms of child maltreatment were correlated with symptomatology at the univariate level, DP was the primary multivariate predictor. Structural equation modeling indicated significant direct paths from (a) DP to both nonsexual child maltreatment and sexual abuse, (b) DP and nonsexual child maltreatment to insecure attachment, and (c) sexual abuse and insecure attachment to symptomatology. There were significant indirect effects of DP on psychological symptoms through sexual and nonsexual abuse, as well as through attachment. These results suggest that although child abuse has direct and indirect impacts on psychological symptoms, exposure to DP may be especially detrimental, both by increasing the risk of child abuse and by virtue of its impacts on attachment insecurity. They also support the potential use of attachment-oriented intervention in the treatment of adults maltreated as children.
... Compared to other maltreatment groups, emotionally neglected children have more severe difficulties in multiple domains including more severe cognitive and academic difficulties, interpersonal difficulties, and internalizing problems relative to children who experienced physical abuse (Hildyard & Wolfe, 2002). Although research on the long-term consequences of neglect in adulthood is sparse, existing evidence indicates that adults with a history of neglect are indeed at higher risk for psychological problems than those exposed to other forms of maltreatment (Briere et al., 2017). ...
... It is notable that a history of neglect significantly affected both psychological health outcomes over time. These results add to a growing recognition that the long-term effects of neglect can be more severe than those associated with other forms of abuse (Briere et al., 2017). Neglect may appear to present less of an immediate threat than overt physical or emotional abuse. ...
... However, substantial evidence suggests that caregiver unavailability is associated with an increased risk of insecure attachment that may extend into adulthood (Sroufe et al., 2005;Widom et al., 2018) and insecure attachment mediates the relationship between childhood maltreatment and later negative mental health outcomes (Cicchetti & Doyle, 2016;Widom et al., 2018). Further, a neglectful environment may increase the likelihood of other forms of abuse, either because neglectful parents are more likely to engage in such behaviors themselves, or because they fail to protect the child from abusive others (Briere et al., 2017). Regarding the lack of relationship between physical or emotional abuse and psychological well-being, it may be that histories of abuse affect negative aspects of mental health rather than the positive aspects of well-being and happiness. ...
Objectives: Sibling relationships are often the longest-lasting and serve as a source of support and comfort for many older adults. The current study examined the moderating effect of sibling support exchange in the association between childhood maltreatment and mental health outcomes.
Method: Using data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS), we analyzed a sample of older adults whose selected sibling was alive across the three data collections (baseline N = 4,041). Longitudinal multilevel regression models were estimated.
Results: Key results showed that a history of neglect was associated with decreased psychological well-being, and all three forms of childhood maltreatment were related to increased depressive symptoms. We also found that sibling support exchange mitigated the negative mental health effects of childhood neglect.
Conclusion: Our findings suggest that siblings may be uniquely positioned to support older adults who grew up in a neglectful family environment. Older adults may be encouraged to promote resilience by strengthening their sibling relationships.
... However, in the line of Bowlby's clinical development [11], experiences of inconsistent support may lead some individuals to develop vigilant attitudes to others' emotional signals and feeling of abandonment. This type of environment, alternatively described as disengaged parenting, hidden trauma or maternal withdrawal, has been associated with features of BPD, as well as with child caregiving attitudes and insecure attachment [12][13][14]. The links between attachment and FER in BPD have also been explored and the results suggest that individuals with high levels of attachment anxiety, because of their fear of rejection and abandonment, would develop hypersensitivity to external features of others, including affective facial expressions [15], whereas avoidant attachment is supposed to impede FER because of individuals' tendency to deactivate attachment needs and concerns. ...
... These results support hypotheses that beyond the effects of abuse (much more often described in the studies on maltreatment than neglect), psychological neglect generates its own effects on psychological development and social cognitions [11,12,14]. In particular, maternal withdrawal over the first eight years of life has been described as associated with child caregiving behavior and with BPD in a high-risk longitudinal cohort from birth to 20 years old [13]. ...
... Indeed, borderline pathology occurs when developmental vulnerability in childhood meets an invalidating environment that punishes and trivializes the child for his feelings. The concept of invalidating environment has been discussed in the light of the distinction between active emotional abuse and parental withdrawal, in which the child is not insulted or diminished, but his needs of nurturance and emotional comfort [12][13][14]. The distinction that our results bring about adversity dimensions, if confirmed, may shed light on confusing effects found with regard to Linehan's hypothesis in studies about FER and mentalization in BPD, because these studies do not differentiate these different relational modalities. ...
Background
Literature data about emotion perception in patients with borderline personality disorders (BPD) revealed some discrepancies between some patients that are vigilant and accurate to detect their emotional environment and others that are impaired at identifying emotions of others. Even if some links between childhood adversity and facial affect recognition have been established, there is a need to understand the heterogeneous psychobiological mechanisms underlying this association. The aim is to distinguish in a BPD sample, the links between facial emotion recognition (FER) and adversity types (maltreatment and parental bonding), by evaluating two dimensions of disengaged and controlling environment.
Method
The study includes BPD adolescents (n = 45) and healthy controls (HC, n = 44): two scores of disengaged environment (parental low care; emotional and physical neglect) and controlling environment (high level of parenting control; emotional, physical and sexual abuse) were established and correlated to FER, as well as to attachment dimensions. Multiple linear regression analyzes were conducted to evaluate the effect of disengaged and controlling dimensions, on FER scores of sensitivity and accuracy, including anxious and avoidant attachment as covariables.
Results
Analyzes revealed that a disengaged environment was positively correlated to sensitivity in BPD patients, and the correlation was negative in the HC group. Controlling environment was negatively associated to accuracy of emotion in BPD. Avoidant and anxious attachment did not influence these associations.
Conclusions
These results suggest that distinct adverse experiences account for the heterogeneity observed in emotion regulation in BPD patients.
... The DV measures the variance in the observed variable that is influenced by the latent variable, which has recommended values of not more than 0.8 (Keith, 2014). Moreover, the DV is employed to examine whether the constructs in the model measures what they are purported to measure or whether they measure different constructs (Briere et al., 2017). The CV examines the direct relationships between the latent variables and further confirms whether the variables in each construct are mutually consistent (Byrne, 2013). ...
... The firm strictly enforces rules on cleaner production EP 2017; Briere et al., 2017), the test instruments were first validated using Cronbach's alpha and confirmatory factor analysis. The Cronbach's alpha results indicated that all the constructs, namely cleaner production, environmental performance, operational performance and financial performance had Cronbach's alphas ranging from 0.734 to 0.901. ...
... From Table 3, the results of the confirmatory factor analysis showed that fourteen (14) test items were loaded on their constructs. It can be observed that the standardised factor loadings were all statistically significant, with values ranging from 0.662 to 0.896, validating a test for construct validity (Severo et al., 2017;Briere et al., 2017). Although the Chi-square statistics (X 2 ¼ 235.751, df ¼ 92, p < 0.001) failed to support the model, the other fit satisfactorily measured the tolerable estimates in the confirmatory factor analysis. ...
Cleaner production (CP) has been confirmed to enhance efficiency in various industries; however, it has not yet been well developed and tested within the sugar production process. Consequently, this study investigated the impact of CP on environmental and financial performance from the perspective of the South African sugar industry. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 323 respondents. The questions were based on a Likert scale structure. ISO 141001 guided the development of the CP questions. The structural equation model was adopted to analyse the data. The evidence demonstrated that CP has a positive and significant relationship with both the environmental and economic performance of sugar production firms. This suggests that CP has led to better environmental and financial performance in the sugar industry in South Africa. This result is reasonable because these performance elements were the basis of providing sustainable CP. The result is also consistent with the innovation theory, which hypothesises that CP can reduce production waste, which can improve the environmental and financial performance of firms. This result implies that further successful implementation of CP would continue to influence sugar production firms’ performance positively. Therefore, the National Cleaner Production Centre of South Africa must intensify its activities to improve the adoption of CP and change its strategic direction for manufacturing organisations to achieve environmental sustainability and CP. The study is the first of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa, and it may assist and guide policymakers and researchers by providing new information and insights on the environmental and financial effects associated with CP in the sugar industry.
... Yet, reasons, outcomes, and types of maternal behaviors indicative of distanced mothering are studied less often and mostly from a clinical perspective of parental neglect, underinvolved, uninvolved, indifferent, or disengaged parenting. Although psychological neglect has been characterized in previous studies as involving chronic rejection, its milder form can be based on uninvolved or disengaged parenting (Briere et al., 2017). This form of mild neglect is based on parental emotional disengagement (low or lacking warmth, indifference, flat affect and rare vocalization), child-related distance or avoidance (low engagement in mother-child interactions), parental unavailability, unresponsiveness, and a lack of attention to the child's needs (Pelaez et al., 2008;Vandewater et al., 2008). ...
... The proposed definition of distanced mothering seems to be associated with under-intensive caregiving, studied in attachment and parenting research as uninvolved, insensitive, and thus disengaged parenting. As such, it has been previously conceptualized as mild neglect (Briere et al., 2017). ...
... In victims of child sexual violence, harmful effects were observed, such as changes in cognition and emotion (Gewirtz-Meydan, 2020), dysfunctional thoughts, depressive episodes in adolescence and adulthood (Gabatz, Schwartz, Milbrath, Zillmer, & Neves, 2017;Wu, Chi, Lin, & Du, 2018). When childhood relationships are marked by violence and/or neglect, the result may be the development of anxiety, depressive episodes, posttraumatic stress and the avoidance of interpersonal relationships (Briere, Runtz, Eadie, Bigras, & Godbout, 2017;Vallati et al., 2020). ...
... Difficulties in interpersonal relationships are described in several studies that evaluated the effects of child sexual violence (Briere et al., 2017;Tardif-Williams, Tanaka, Boyle, & MacMillan, 2017;Wu et al., 2018). The authors point out that the cognitive processes that resulted in dysfunctional thoughts and impaired interpersonal relationships may persist into adulthood, and may cause harm to the mental health of victims (Tardif-Williams et al., 2017) and lead to revictimization (Perfect, Tharinger, Keith, & Lyle-Lahroud, 2011). ...
This study aimed to verify the validity of Zulliger criteria in the evaluation of interpersonal relationships and self-image of children victims of sexual violence. Population: 42 children between 7 and 13 years old participated, divided into three groups: 19 Victims of sexual violence (G1); 10 Cancer patients (G2); 13 Control group (G3). Instruments: Zulliger in the Comprehensive System (ZSC) R-Optimized application; Personality Scale for Children (ETPC, EPQ-J); Social Skills Inventory for Children (SSRS); Intelligence Test (CPM-Raven). G1, when compared to other groups, showed more tendency to problematic or less adaptive understanding of interpersonal interactions [p < 0.05 in PHR, GHR and p (ZSC); Psychosis (ETPC, EPQ-J); EG and F2 (SSRS)], more self-critical and negative self-image [p < 0.05 in MOR (ZSC)] and increased traumatic content [p < 0.05 in Bl (ZSC)]. The ZSC demonstrated preliminary evidence of validity in the evaluation of Interpersonal Relationship and Self-image of victims of child sexual violence.
... Empirical research has demonstrated that CSA is associated with psychological distress in adulthood (Briere et al., 2017;Ramírez et al., 2011). A meta-analysis of 248 studies was conducted to explore the link between CSA and adult mental health difficulties and found that CSA was a nonspecific risk factor for developing various types of psychological symptoms in adulthood (Hillberg et al., 2011). ...
... The results also supported hypothesis 2, which states that childhood attachment has a significant impact on individual's adult attachment, psychological distress, and selfesteem. Specifically, the significance of the relationship between childhood attachment and adult attachment supported the theoretical assumption of continuity of attachment style throughout the lifespan (Briere et al., 2017;Nosko et al., 2011). Extending Bowlby's (1969Bowlby's ( , 1973 attachment theory that conceptualizes close relationships in adulthood, internal working models of self and others based on early experiences have been found to be related to adult attachment (Godbout et al., 2009;Hazan & Shaver, 1987). ...
Purpose
Child sexual abuse (CSA) has short-term and long-term effects on survivors, but distress after the abuse varies widely and not all survivors show a significant degree of distress. Factors contributing to the variations of CSA outcomes need to be further investigated. The present study examines the moderating role of childhood attachment in the relationship between the experience of CSA and adult attachment, psychological distress, and self-esteem.
Methods
Seven hundred and sixty-seven adults participated in this study, of which 427 (55.67%) reported a history of CSA. Participants were recruited from various social media websites (e.g., Facebook, Craigslist, discussion board, university announcement board). To examine the moderating role of childhood attachment between the experience of CSA and adult attachment, we conducted path analysis.
Results
Childhood attachment significantly predicted adult attachment, psychological distress, and self-esteem in adulthood and moderated the relation between CSA and anxious adult attachment; CSA survivors with more secure childhood attachment were less likely to develop anxious attachment in adulthood. Additionally, CSA survivors reported less secure adult attachment, more psychological distress, and lower self-esteem than did individuals without a history of CSA. Furthermore, secure childhood attachment was significantly associated with secure adult attachment, lower levels of psychological distress, and higher levels of self-esteem.
Conclusions
The results suggested that secure childhood attachment at least partially protected against negative long-term effects of CSA and fostered healthier intrapersonal and interpersonal adjustment in CSA survivors.
... A large body of research indicates that insecure attachment patterns are associated with interpersonal trauma (Allen et al., 1998;Cyr et al., 2010;Fresno et al., 2018;Raby et al., 2017) as well as posttraumatic symptomatology (Bakermans-Kranenburg & van Ijzendoorn, 2009;Barone, 2003;Lin et al., 2020;Ogawa et al., 1997;Woodhouse et al., 2015). Furthermore, some studies have shown that these patterns mediate various trauma-related symptoms (Briere et al., 2017;Muller et al., 2012;Roche et al., 1999;Smagur et al., 2018). Sandberg et al. (2010) found that attachment anxiety (but not avoidance) partially mediated the link between interpersonal violence/ sexual victimization and PTSD symptoms among college women, whereas Kong et al. (2018) found that both attachment anxiety and avoidance (albeit to a lesser extent) mediated links between childhood trauma and adult dissociation among adults receiving treatment at a trauma-specialty clinic. ...
... However, they are only partially consistent with van Dijke et al. (2018), who found that both attachment anxiety and avoidance mediated the link between childhood trauma and symptoms of DESNOS in a clinical sample of adults diagnosed with severe and chronic psychiatric disorders, and Kong et al. (2018), who found that both attachment anxiety and avoidance (albeit to a lesser extent) mediated links between various forms of childhood trauma and adult dissociation among adults receiving treatment at a trauma-specialty clinic. Most studies reporting significant mediational effects of attachment insecurity on trauma-related symptomatology have not examined separate pathways for attachment anxiety and avoidance (Briere et al., 2017;Muller et al., 2012). A primary reason attachment avoidance did not mediate CPTSD symptoms in the present study was because it was unrelated to interpersonal trauma. ...
Previous research indicates that insecure attachment patterns are associated with interpersonal trauma and posttraumatic symptomatology, and that they mediate various trauma-related symptoms. However, no study to date has examined whether these patterns mediate the link between interpersonal trauma and the newly recognized diagnostic features of complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD), as published by the World Health Organization (2019) in the 11th version of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). Mediators of CPTSD are important to identify because they can provide a deeper understanding of the condition’s etiology. Moreover, if amenable to clinical intervention, they can be targeted to improve treatment effectiveness. The purpose of the present study was to formally test our hypothesis that two underlying dimensions of adult attachment insecurity (i.e., attachment anxiety and avoidance) would mediate the link between interpersonal trauma and ICD-11 CPTSD symptoms. Participants were a culturally diverse sample of 169 college men and women. They completed a modified version of the Life Events Checklist (LEC-5), the revised Experiences in Close Relationships (ECR-R) scale, and the International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ). Results of path analysis partially supported our hypothesis, indicating that attachment anxiety, but not avoidance, partially mediated the link between interpersonal trauma and PTSD and DSO (“Disturbances in Self-Organization”) features of CPTSD. Although longitudinal research is needed, findings suggest that attachment anxiety may contribute to the development and maintenance of CPTSD symptoms following interpersonal trauma. Clinical interventions that help individuals rework and integrate representations of attachment that involve a fear of not being able to access adequate care and protection, and a negative view of self may be particularly useful in ameliorating the symptoms of CPTSD.
... In major depressive disorder (MDD), CM has been linked to maladaptive traits such as higher self-criticism [30], trait anxiety [31], and internalizing behaviors [32], which exacerbate depressive symptoms and increase suicide risk. In individuals with borderline personality disorder, CM has been shown to hinder the development of self-compassion [33] and foster insecure attachment [34], leading to difficulties in emotion regulation [35]. The interplay between CM, personality traits, and psychopathology underscores the importance of examining these relationships in healthy and clinical populations. ...
Background
Prior research has established a correlation between childhood maltreatment (CM) and personality traits. The current understanding regarding the potential variability in the relationship between CM and its impact on personality dimensions among those with major depressive disorder (MDD) and healthy controls (HCs) remains elusive.
Aims
This study analyzes the association between CM and personality traits in the MDD and HC groups.
Methods
The study recruited 188 individuals with MDD and 132 HC. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) was used to assess CM, and the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF) was used to assess personality traits. We used a 2*2 analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) of the diagnosis and CM on 16PF, and hierarchical regression explored the association between specific types of CM and 16PF in both groups.
Results
The 2*2 ANCOVA results indicated significant interaction effects between CM and diagnosis on personality traits, with CM’s impact notably different between groups. In the MDD group, sexual abuse (SA) independently predicted the subscale Q1 (Openness to Change), related to the Big Five’s openness. In the HC group, emotional abuse (EA) predicted the subscales C (emotional stability), O (apprehension), and Q4(tension), linked to Big Five’s neuroticism.
Conclusion
The findings highlight the impact of early adversity on personality development, informing psychology and guiding tailored therapy development.
... Attachment patterns formed early in life may influence the long-term effects of childhood abuse, but abused individuals may also use impulsive behavioural patterns in interpersonal interactions. Briere et al. study [9] suggest that both physical and psychological child abuse is strongly associated with the development of insecure attachment styles in childhood. Adult attachment styles develop from childhood attachment styles and are generally more secure. ...
Childhood trauma is a major cause of borderline personality disorder. Research shows that most patients diagnosed with borderline personality disorder report unhappy or shadowy childhood experiences in psychological assessments. Attachment may be one of the important mechanisms by which childhood trauma affects borderline personality disorder. Attachment styles have a strong influence on people. People with insecure attachment styles often show distrust of others and extreme language and behaviour. This is also a core symptom of borderline personality disorder. The aim of this study was to investigate whether insecure adult attachment styles mediate borderline personality disorder as a result of childhood trauma. In addition, a secure attachment style may have a positive effect on alleviating or even treating Borderline Personality Disorder. This study will investigate this aspect. It is hoped that this research will advance researchers' understanding of the impact of childhood trauma on Borderline Personality Disorder and its mechanisms, and provide theoretical and empirical support for interventions aimed at reducing Borderline Personality Disorder caused by childhood trauma.
... Supporting this, Mikulincer et al.'s (2009b) dream analysis study, aimed to understand deviations from the SBS at the unconscious or implicit level, and revealed an inverse relationship between attachment-avoidance and themes of support availability in dreams. Perceptions of inadequate support may stem from experiences of "disengaged parenting," marked by distracted attention, disinterest, and psychological nonresponsiveness (Briere et al., 2017). ...
The present paper introduces a theoretical model that addresses the interplay between insecure attachment, internal narratives, and defensive behaviour. Drawing from attachment theory research, we conceptualize the “internalized defensive narrative” (IDN) as a mental representation associated with attachment-insecurity. The model illustrates how the unique IDN associated with attachment-anxiety and attachment-avoidance respectively invoke hyperactivating and deactivating defenses. In clinical contexts, the model’s application may possibly contribute to the development of more effective therapeutic strategies that target the root causes of a client’s defensive behaviour. By recognizing the IDN as a key factor in the maintenance of the insecure cycle, therapists can potentially help clients gain insights into the psychological mechanisms driving their behaviour and provide them with tools for change, leading to improved therapeutic outcomes for individuals struggling with these issues. Further research is needed to validate and elaborate on the proposed model and its implications for clinical practice.
... On the other hand, attachment insecurity undermines moments of aloneness into the undesirable experience of loneliness [80] . Attachment insecurity is caused by child abuse [81] , and it is associated high codependent behaviors and low satisfaction of the relationship [82] , and violence toward partner [83] . The relationships between fantasy and attachment insecurity is suggested. ...
Child abuse is a prevalent public health issue with one half of children worldwide experiencing some form of violence. Child abuse is associated with a myriad of impacts across the lifespan such as mental and physical illness, academic performance, and employment. For this reason, individual’s psychological functions such as emotional regulation, autobiographical memory and self, and psychological connection with others are changed by child abuse. However, to best of our knowledge, there is still much unknowns about the mechanism underlying these changes. In this article, we focusing on the relationships between fantasy and metacognition and its biological and neurological bases, and functional change of them caused by child abuse. Then, we also explain the effects of them for other psychological function in abused individual. In case of child abuse, there is suggests that children immerse themselves fantastic world in order to escape from the tragic experiences that are repeated on a daily living by the caregiver. In this process, functions that recognize the real world, such as metacognition, not functioning. Rather, there is consider that children refuse to develop metacognition in order to avoid realizing the truth of the real world. As results, it does not seem to develop child’s emotional regulative function such as metacognition. The experience of being continuously hurt by a caregiver and the image of being hurt are thought to change to maladaptive fantasy or autobiographical shame memory. Then, both maladaptive fantasy and autobiographical shame memory are lead to formed negatively distorted and unstable mental images of self and other. Finally, we discuss two potential new interventions such as picture book and breathing technique for abused children.
... We emphasize that in naming this group 'emotion disengaged' parenting we refer to parents' passiveness toward children's emotions, and low levels of support and guidance for managing children's emotions, rather than more broadly referring to parental engagement with their child. Similar patterns have been described in the broader parenting literature (Kawabata et al., 2011;Briere et al., 2017;Shen et al., 2020;Lan, 2021). For instance, Baumrind (1991) proposed a 'disengaged' parenting style that describes parents low in warmth, sensitivity, and attentiveness. ...
Introduction
Seminal emotion socialization theories classify parents according to two patterns of parent emotion socialization processes: ‘emotion coaching’ (i.e., parents validate and teach children about emotions) versus ‘emotion dismissing’ parenting (i.e., parents minimize and dismiss their children’s emotions). However, empirical evidence supporting this binary distinction of parents remains limited. Our objective was to investigate whether parents can be differentiated by distinct patterns in their (1) beliefs about children’s emotions, (2) emotion regulation, and (3) emotion-related parenting practices.
Method
Participants were parents of children aged 4–10 years from the Child and Parent Emotion Study (N = 869) (https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/10/e038124). Parents completed self-reported measures of emotion socialization processes via an online survey, which took 20–30 min to complete. Data included in the current study were collected May–August 2019. We conducted a latent profile analysis of parents’ emotion socialization (13 indicators). To assess reliability of the profiles, we examined stability of the profiles across (1) parents of children in early versus middle childhood, and (2) fathers versus mothers, via measurement invariance testing. Further, to assess for construct validity of the profiles, we examined concurrent associations between six criterion constructs and parents’ emotion socialization profiles.
Results
A three-profile model emerged characterizing parents by: (1) emotion coaching; (2) emotion dismissing; (3) emotion disengaged. There was strong support for construct validity and reliability.
Discussion
Our study provides empirical support for distinct differentiated classifications of emotion coaching and emotion dismissing parenting, aligned with emotion socialization theories. We further extend on extant theory and suggest a third ‘emotion disengaged’ classification, describing parents with moderate levels of emotion dismissing parenting and low levels of emotion coaching parenting. It should be noted that the profiles were derived with self-report data, therefore, data may have been biased by contextual factors. Furthermore, the study sample consisted of Western families from affluent backgrounds. The field should focus efforts on conducting person-centered studies with more diverse samples in future.
... Green (78) described how these early modalities, through the paradigm of the dead mother complex, affect the child's personality, resulting in difficulties perceiving and interpreting affects within oneself and the development of alexithymia. Bowlby (60) also proposed that early experiences of relational withdrawal from attachment figures have an impact on development, a finding supported by several studies linking insecure attachment and borderline symptoms (79)(80)(81). Adverse experiences can lead to distinct perceptual modifications, with relational withdrawal experiences correlating with hypersensitivity in facial emotion recognition and intrusion experiences associated with decreased emotional perceptual accuracy (82). In all cases, attention to the internal world is diminished, likely due to difficulties accessing early parental mirroring functions (83). ...
Borderline personality disorders account for 50% of adolescent hospitalization cases in psychiatry. The severity and psychopathological complexity of these symptoms indicate the need for inclusive models of understanding. Adopting a holistic approach allows for the consideration of not only the patient's environment, but also their position within that environment and their life history. In this article, a model based on the concept of therapeutic containment at three levels is presented. Global containment refers to the mindset and organization of the institution that provides care, which is itself a part of society at a specific time. Local containment focuses on understanding and therapeutic interventions within the immediate social environment of the individual. Lastly, individual containment encompasses the development of independent processes during the course of care. These three levels are integrated in the hospital treatment of borderline personality disorders, forming a trans-theoretical approach.
... Por otra parte, los resultados muestran que más de la mitad de las personas que participan en el estudio presentan un apego inseguro en la línea de otros trabajos (Leiva & Concha, 2019). Entre los motivos que pueden ayudar a entender esto, se encontrarían los cambios en las dinámicas familiares, como la escasez de tiempo de los padres en el hogar (Briere et al., 2017;Delgado & Ricapa, 2010). ...
Resumen La adultez emergente (AE) es una etapa de transición entre la adolescencia y la adultez en la cual se desarrollan la identidad y nuevos roles sociales. Los vínculos que se establecen en la infancia influyen en la psicopatología, el consumo de alcohol y las relaciones interpersonales que se establecerán más tarde, siendo el apego inseguro un factor de riesgo de psicopatolo-gía. El objetivo es conocer los factores asociados con el malestar psicoló-gico en la AE. Tras firmar el consentimiento informado, los participantes (n = 217), de 18 a 25 años (70% mujeres), respondieron una encuesta que evaluó el apego adulto (CR), la psicopatología (SA-45), la dependen-cia emocional (DE) (IRIDS-100) y el consumo de alcohol (AUDIT). Predominaron los estilos de apego inseguros (61,8%), la codependencia (CD) (35%) y la sintomatología ansiosa-depresiva (M = 6,87; DT = 5,17) y (M = 5,53; DT = 4,42), respectivamente. Un peor modelo de sí mismo se relacionó con mayor malestar psicológico y relaciones interpersonales disfuncionales. El consumo de alcohol se vinculó de manera positiva con mayor psicopatología y con DE. El estudio subraya que sería interesante potenciar las vinculaciones afectivas seguras en la infancia para prevenir el malestar psicológico en el futuro, así como las relaciones interpersona-les disfuncionales. Palabras clave Adultez emergente; apego; psicopatología; dependencia emocional; con-sumo de alcohol. autores Sonia Campos-Arregui Máster en Investigación, Tratamiento y Patologías Asociadas en Drogodependencias
... Although dissociation could be considered a protective factor and an adaptive response to managing emotional distress (Moulton et al., 2015), in the face of extreme discomfort it can also have a disabling effect, inhibiting the development and function of regulatory stress response systems. As such, an individual may be left unable to manage intense emotions, nor able to distinguish threatening situations from those which are safe (Briere et al., 2017;Dorahy et al., 2015;Schimmenti & Caretti, 2016). The extreme disconnection from oneself or from perception of reality, referred to as depersonalization and derealization respectively, can lead to a sense of confusion, exclusion, and turmoil if left unmanaged (Steinberg, 1995). ...
... A safe, nurturing relationship with an adult is one of the most important protective factors in promoting resilience and overcoming exposure to adversity Mortensen & Barnett, 2016). In response, trauma-informed school practices commonly focus on addressing dysregulated stress responses and promoting attachment relationships (Brunzell et al., 2015) through the provision of unconditional positive regard, positive classroom management strategies, consistency, predictability and building positive-student relationships (Briere et al., 2017;Kearns & Hart, 2017). ...
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been associated with a range of poorer health and educational outcomes. In response, many schools have adopted trauma-informed practice (TIP). Staff attitudes are postulated to play a central role in behaviour change, potentially facilitating or hindering system change towards TIP. However, little is known about how individual or contextual factors in school staff are associated with attitudes towards TIP. The aim of this study was to investigate relationships between school staff demographic information, training experience, attachment patterns and ACEs, in relation to attitudes towards TIP. Participants were 128 UK-based educational staff, aged 19-70 years (M = 37.76, SD = 11.34). Females comprised 93% of the sample; 44% of participants indicated that they had received trauma awareness training. Participants completed an online survey comprising standardised measures of demographics, adult attachment, Adverse Childhood Experiences and Attitudes Related to Trauma-Informed Care (ARTIC). The ARTIC questionnaire yields five sub-scales of attitudes. Demographic variables were found to be unrelated to attitudes towards TIP. Zero order correlations revealed that ACEs and attachment dimensions were associated with attitudes. However, multiple linear regression analyses indicated that when exposure to trauma-informed training was controlled, only attachment avoidance explained a significant proportion of variance in attitudes towards TIP. In conclusion, previous experience of adversity was unrelated to attitudes when the effect of training was controlled. Insecure attachment styles may pose a barrier to favourable attitudes towards TIP, despite training. Further research is required to determine why insecurely attached individuals, especially those with high avoidance, are resistant to trauma-informed ways of working.
... One negative effect of dismissive parenting is that youth often prematurely assume adult roles. When parents are unavailable to nurture their children, the children must learn to respond to their own emotional needs (Briere et al., 2017). Further, dismissive parenting has been associated with at-risk youth behaviors such as substance abuse (Rothrauff et al., 2009). ...
This cross-sectional study used secondary data of urban youth to explore parental approaches as predictors of positive youth development among a group of 182 African American youth. This study aimed to examine how parental approaches (maternal and paternal encouragement and monitoring) predict prosocial behaviors (aspirations, self-efficacy, emotional restraint, and social responsibility) among a sample of African American youth residing in public housing. The regression analysis revealed three significant models. Overall, the results suggest that maternal monitoring and encouragement are essential for positive outcomes for African American youth in the context of urban public housing.
... The Multi-Dimensional Assessment Guide incorporates youths' social and emotional developmental level as a critical element in guiding strategies for engaging youths with interventions that match their developmental level. The effects of neglect, abuse, impaired or disengaged caregivers and family violence on development have been well-documented for young children (Briere et al., 2017;D'Andrea et al., 2012;Perry, 2002;Puetz et al., 2020;Spinazzola et al., 2018). Children who experience polyvictimization, coupled with disrupted or impaired relationships with their primary caregivers and familial or community violence, appear to have the greatest risk of developmental delays and impaired self and relational functioning (Musicaro et al., 2019;Spinazzola et al., 2018). ...
Youths and parents/caregivers who have experienced multiple forms of severe interpersonal trauma may demonstrate severe and persistent symptoms of complex trauma including high-risk behaviors. Engagement, and sustaining engagement, of these youths and parents/caregivers in evidence-supported trauma treatment is a critical challenge, especially when youths or parents/caregivers have experienced chronic traumas that may be expected to continue into the foreseeable future. An extensive literature review was conducted leading to development of an assessment framework that could increase engagement of youths and parents/caregivers in trauma treatment based on research on chronic trauma, complex trauma, Developmental Trauma Disorder (DTD), and factors that promote engagement. A multi-dimensional assessment guide was developed to enable clinicians to differentiate types of chronic trauma based on a continuum of past, current and expected exposure over time and then to use this guide collaboratively with youths and parents/caregivers to develop priorities for treatment and service planning that matches their needs and strengths. The assessment guide incorporates exposure to intra-familial and community forms of interpersonal trauma, attachment disruptions, established symptoms of PTSD, Complex PTSD and DTD, as well as social-emotional development. The assessment and treatment planning guides proposed in this article expand applicability of evidence-supported trauma-informed therapy to youths and families who have not been engaged by programs offering treatments that are focused on past or single incident traumas or do not address disrupted attachments, multi-generational experiences of adversity, discrimination and community violence, life-threatening dangers or the impact of chronic trauma on youth, parent/caregiver and family development.
... Humbert's study on the effects of childhood sexual abuse on men's coercive sexual behaviour confirmed that there is a significant correlation between childhood anxiousresistant attachment and adulthood preoccupied attachment, as well as anxious-avoidant attachment in childhood and dismissing attachment in adulthood (Langton, Murad & Humbert, 2017). This was further confirmed in Briere et al.'s study on the effects of disengaged parenting on one's development through the lifespan, where insecure childhood attachments were found to be associated with insecure romantic relationships in adulthood (Briere, et al., 2017). ...
The following paper serves as a Masters' dissertation. In 2017, a large proportion of children around the world were placed into alternative care through child protection statutory interventions. Based on the researcher's own experiences as a child protection social worker in South Africa, a number of children who face these interventions have parents who faced similar interventions in their youth, indicating a cycle of violence transmitted across generations. The researcher hypothesised that this cycle may come about as a result of attachment difficulties stemming from infancy, and thus, this paper sought to answer the following research questions: (1) What effects does exposure to family violence have on children? (2) What are the impacts of family violence on child attachment styles? (3) How do these acquired attachment styles affect future childcare? (4) What methods (if any) can be employed to improve or change attachment styles? The three theorists used as a focal point for this research were John Bowlby, Donald W. Winnicott and Alan N. Schore. The study consisted of a systematic review of literature. The dataset consisted of fifty-one peer reviewed journal articles, which was analysed through a thematic analysis of literature. Whilst it seems that this cycle of violence is indeed linked to attachment difficulties and that attachment styles can be transmitted intergenerationally, as was hypothesised by the researcher, it appears that this issue is more complex, with other factors such as mental health, social support and socioeconomic status also playing a role. Key words Attachment security, family violence, child protection, cycle of violence, intergenerational transmission of trauma 3 Acknowledgements This paper would not exist were it not for the contributions of several people. This year has been tumultuous for very many people, as the coronavirus caused lectures and supervision to be cancelled, stranded people, isolated them and tested their resilience to the extreme. I was very lucky that, throughout this time, I had a strong support network that guided me, even though I was not physically present in their lives. Firstly, I would be remiss not to thank my supervisor, Professor Punzi, who gave me guidance and advice, proofread my documents and approached my ideas with an extreme enthusiasm that renewed my own excitement for this project. This paper would be much poorer without your contributions, Professor, and I am grateful. Secondly, to Viktoria Jendmyr, our course administrator, our port of call when we had questions and our link to the university, thank you so much for your tireless work. Next, I have to thank my mother, Margaretha Pankhurst. Firstly, she gave birth to me, raised me and supported me. Secondly, she was my first editor on this document, my main sounding board for my ideas and the person I turned to when I was feeling anxious, nervous or insecure. Thank you always. To my father, Peter Pankhurst and my brother, Christy Pankhurst, thank you for believing in me, supporting me and making me laugh.
... Therefore, it is possible to hypothesize that attachment styles and ADHD features influence each other during development. Starting from early childhood experiences, the temperamental characteristics of individuals with heightened risk to develop ADHD (e.g., anger/irritability, negative vocalizations, alterations in motion-attention coupling, delays in speech development, less parentoriented attention seeking; Johnson et al., 2015;Sullivan et al., 2015) might elicit and interplay with parents' emotional difficulties (Harold et al., 2013) and/or dysfunctional parenting styles (e.g., hostile, authoritarian, lax) (Park et al., 2017;Yousefia et al., 2011), which lay the foundations for the consolidation of the child's insecure attachment styles (Briere et al., 2017;Zeinali et al., 2011). The repetitive transactions between a child's temperamental characteristics, maladaptive parenting styles and insecure attachment reinforce alterations within self-regulatory systems (Augustine & Stifter, 2019;Bates & Pettit, 2015), which underpin the clinical manifestations of ADHD. ...
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by pervasive alterations in self-regulation. Attachment patterns could be involved in maintaining the clinical features of ADHD during development. This meta-analytic review summarizes the findings of 26 cross-sectional and longitudinal studies that assessed correlations between attachment styles and ADHD features among children and adolescents. Results show that insecure attachment highlighted significant correlations with ADHD inattention and hyperactivity symptoms. Dismissive/avoidant attachment was associated with inattention features. Ambivalent/preoccupied attachment correlated with hyperactivity symptoms. Disorganized attachment was associated with inattentive symptoms. Insecure attachment was prospectively associated with later ADHD symptoms. Cross-sectional correlations between insecure attachment and ADHD symptoms were comparable to longitudinal ones. This might suggest a transactional developmental model of ADHD considering mutual reinforcement effects of insecure attachment patterns and core clinical features of the disorder. Clinical samples with ADHD should be assessed in order to support this theoretical framework.
... This study had several limitations. First, although the current study aimed to explored causal determinants of DEBs, the cross-sectional nature of the data does not allow causal inferences (see : Briere, Runtz, Eadie, Bigras, & Godbout, 2017). Prospective research is needed to determine if the associations in the integrated model are causal. ...
Mass psychogenic illness (MPI), also known as mass/epidemic hysteria, mass sociogenic illness, mass conversion disorder, and epidemic of medically unexplained illness, is a globally occurring dissociative phenomenon. In contemporary Nepal, MPI is widespread and a large number of young children and adolescents in schools as well as adult women in some communities are affected in clusters by unintentional trance and possession episodes, known as chhopne/chhopuwā in the Nepali language. In recent years, there has been a burgeoning recognition of and interest in MPI in Nepal. For example, the Ministry of Health (MoH) Nepal has included MPI in the training curriculum for primary health workers and some nonprofit organizations in Nepal have published psychoeducational materials on MPI and guidelines on how to manage MPI outbreaks. However, the possible causes and correlates of these epidemics are not well understood and have not been widely studied in Nepal. As a result, existing guidelines are largely based on generic information on MPI in the western psychiatric literature. The dearth of studies on the potential causes and correlates of MPI in Nepal represents a significant knowledge gap with implications for intervention.
This thesis was driven by the premise that effective management of MPI requires a comprehensive understanding of its causes and correlates. Three studies were conducted to examine the social and psychological correlates of mass psychogenic illness involving a cluster of adult women in a community and adolescent children in schools in Nepal. The aim of these studies was to test existing hypotheses about the etiology of MPI by comparing afflicted and control populations with regard to (a) prior exposure to trauma, (b) underlying mental health problems, (c) personality traits, and (d) level of dissociative experiences
To achieve this aim, first, we conducted a case study following a mixed-methods case-control design in a village in central Nepal with a cluster of women experiencing unintentional spirit possession episodes. This study assessed sociocultural context, prior exposure to trauma, and prevalence of symptoms of common mental disorders in women who had (n=22) and had not (n=16) experienced possession (N=38). Quantitative results indicated that possessed women had higher rates of traumatic exposure and higher levels of symptoms of mental disorder compared to non-possessed women. However, qualitative interviews with possessed individuals and their non- possessed friends, family members, and traditional healers painted a different picture. Spirit possession was viewed as an affliction that provided a unique mode of communication between humans and spirits. Thus, it was concluded that possession was better understood not as a specific form of psychopathology but as an idiom of distress, that is, an avenue to communicate and cope with distress associated with existing psychosocial problems.
Secondly, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of adolescents (N=314) from five schools in three districts of Nepal. Using a path analysis model, this study evaluated the applicability of three existing theoretical models to explain dissociative experiences and behaviors (DEBs), namely: (1) childhood trauma; (2) cognitive and personality traits (i.e., cognitive failures, fantasy proneness, emotional contagion); and (3) current distress (i.e., quality of life, depression, posttraumatic stress). Results confirmed that the factors associated with all three models were correlates of DEBs, however, only cognitive failures (lapses in day-to-day memory) and posttraumatic stress emerged as significant predictors of DEBs in the path analysis. Simple mediation analysis using posttraumatic stress and cognitive failures as mediators in separate mediation models confirmed the full mediation of the effect of childhood trauma on dissociation. This suggests that childhood trauma along with all of the other personality and distress variables assessed are important correlates of DEBs; however, they are not always present and are neither necessary nor sufficient to produce dissociation. Various socioecological factors, cognitive and personality traits, and other contextual factors not measured in this study may play an important role in determining the occurrence of dissociative experiences and behaviors.
Thirdly, we conducted a case-control study with adolescent children affected (cases) by MPI that involved dissociative trance and possession episodes (chhopne) and their friends who had never experienced chhopne (N=379). This study aimed to evaluate if DEBs and their correlates identified in the previous study could predict epidemics of episodes of chhopne among children in schools in Nepal affected by MPI episodes. Bivariate logistic regression models showed that family type (i.e., nuclear family), childhood trauma, a higher tendency to dissociative experiences, prior experience of peritraumatic dissociation, depression, and hypnotizability were significant predictors of caseness, that is, the odds of being a case (being affected in MPI) among those who lived in the nuclear family, traumatic experience in childhood, current depressive symptoms, a higher tendency to dissociative experiences, prior experience of peritraumatic dissociation, and higher hypnotizability was greater than the odds of being a case among those without such experiences and characteristics. However, in terms of DEBs and their correlates predicting caseness in MPI episodes, results were mixed. Multiple logistic regression showed that only a few variables, physical abuse, peritraumatic dissociation, and hypnotizability significantly differentiated affected from not affected. Further, family type, which was not a significant predictor of DEBs in the previous study turned out to be a significant predictor of caseness in MPI. Taken together, the results suggest that adolescents with higher susceptibility to suggestion, living in nuclear families, who have experienced physical abuse and peritraumatic dissociation are more likely to be affected by MPI episodes.
The findings from these studies have important implications for understanding the possible causes and correlates of MPI phenomena and may guide the development of appropriate prevention and intervention strategies for MPI in Nepal and beyond.
... Childhood trauma is a risk factor for developing attachment insecurity both in childhood 15,16 and in adulthood. [17][18][19] For instance, an early meta-analysis of almost 800 infants showed that 80% of infants who were exposed to childhood trauma demonstrated attachment insecurity, compared with only 36% of infants in the control groups. 15 Similarly, using data from a large prospective study (N = 605), Dion et al. 19 highlighted a significant association between childhood trauma and attachment insecurity in adulthood-specifically, attachment anxiety. ...
Background:
Childhood trauma is associated with greater depression severity among individuals with bipolar disorder. However, the mechanisms that explain the link between childhood trauma and depression severity in bipolar disorder remain poorly understood. The mediational role of attachment insecurity in childhood and adulthood was assessed in the current study.
Methods:
Participants with bipolar disorder (N = 143) completed measures of childhood trauma (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire), attachment insecurity (Experiences in Close Relationships Scale), and depression severity (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale) as part of the Prechter Longitudinal Study of Bipolar Disorder. A sequential mediation model was tested using path analysis: the direct and indirect effects of childhood trauma on depression severity with attachment insecurity (attachment anxiety and avoidance) in childhood (mother and father) and adulthood (partner) as mediators were estimated.
Results:
The final path model demonstrated an excellent fit to the data (comparative fit index = 0.996; root mean square error of approximation = 0.021 [90% confidence interval = 0.000-0.073]). Supporting the hypothesised sequential mediation model, maternal attachment anxiety in childhood and romantic attachment avoidance in adulthood partially mediated the relationship between childhood trauma and depression severity; this effect accounted for 12% of the total effect of childhood trauma on depression severity.
Conclusion:
Attachment insecurity in childhood and adulthood form part of the complex mechanism informing why people with bipolar disorder who have a history of childhood trauma experience greater depression severity. Addressing attachment insecurity represents a valuable psychotherapeutic treatment target for bipolar disorder.
... The outcomes and consequences of child sexual abuse during childhood and into adulthood are widely reported by a plethora of empirical research. The most widely examined and reported are post-traumatic stress disorder (Barrera, Calderón, & Bell, 2013), cognitive problems and problems of externalization and internalization (Miragoli, Procaccia, & Di Blasio, 2014), situations of disorganized or insecure attachment to primary caregivers that are then reflected in problematic relationships in adulthood (Briere, Runtz, Eadie, Bigras, & Godbout, 2017); social isolation (Miner et al, 2016); and the recurrence of traumatic events in adulthood (Nacak, Morawa, Tuffner, & Erim, 2017). In particular, growing literature suggests significant sexuality-related behaviours in CSA cases including a wide range of adult attitudes related to hypersexuality, sexual compulsiveness and risky sexual behaviour (Miner et al., 2010;Vaillancourt-Morel et al., 2016); as well as sexual inhibition, sexual avoidance or aversion, low desire and vaginal or pelvic pain (Vaillancourt-Morel et al., 2016). ...
The report “Child abuse: definitions, intervention and actions carried out by faith led organizations” highlights the various forms of child abuse with an analysis of the risk factors and the abuse prevention strategies, including the adoption of codes of conduct and protection policies by the different Catholic institutions and ecclesial associations.
... As predicted, individuals who had experienced sexual trauma (CSA or ASA) manifested significant dissociative symptoms and this finding is congruent with previous research examining these relationships (Scott et al., 2019). Our findings also support previously reported studies suggesting that childhood abuse may generate behavioural patterns involving defensive dissociation that continues into adulthood (Briere et al., 2017). However, traumatised individuals generally may be vulnerable to dissociation as a coping mechanism, which may be difficult without experiencing some degree of psychotic phenomena given the parallels in symptomology. ...
Research has highlighted the role of dissociation in understanding the trauma–psychosis relationship. Moreover, it has been proposed that the association between trauma and psychotic symptoms may be both directly and indirectly explained by dissociative processes. The current study sought to investigate the relationship between age at first sexual trauma, dissociative experiences and psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) in 269 female trauma survivors (overall mean age = 32.11, SD = 10.55). Mediation analyses were employed to estimate the direct effects of childhood sexual abuse (CSA; mean age at abuse onset = 6.53, SD = 3.98) and adult sexual assault (ASA; mean age at abuse onset = 18.72, SD = 2.59) on PLEs, and the indirect effects via the three subscales of absorption, depersonalisation and amnesia. The findings showed that the CSA group was significantly associated with each of the three dissociation variables (p < 0.01 for each variable), while the ASA group was significantly associated with absorption and depersonalisation (p < 0.01 for each variable). Depersonalisation partially mediated the effect between CSA and PLEs, whereas the relationship between ASA and PLEs was fully mediated via depersonalisation. The findings are consistent with, and complement, models implicating depersonalisation as a unique mechanism in the pathways between sexually based victimisation and PLEs.
Key Practitioner Messages
• CSA and ASA have both direct and indirect impacts on later psychological symptoms. Elucidating mechanisms by which sexual trauma leads to the transition to PLEs should be instrumental in treatment formulation.
• Depersonalisation is a complementary mechanism in the link between sexually based trauma and PLEs. Evaluating dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs is crucial for therapeutic intervention as these may contribute to the development and maintenance of symptoms.
‘Investigate[s] the relationship between age at first sexual trauma, dissociative experiences and psychotic-like experiences… in 269 female trauma survivors’
... As a result of the violence suffered, it is common to observe harmful effects on the mental health of sexual violence victims (SVV), such as interpersonal relationship difficulties (Santos, Mascarenhas, Malta, Lima, & Silva, 2019;Schaefer, Brunnet, Lobo, Carvalho, & Kristensen, 2018); post-traumatic stress, dysfunctional and self-destructive behavior, sexual disorders, and somatic changes (Briere, Runtz, Eadie, Bigras, & Godbout, 2017); depressive episodes; automatic and dysfunctional thoughts, and cognitive processing problems (Gabatz, Schwartz, Milbrath, Zilmer, & Neves, 2017;Wu, Chi, Lin, & Du, 2018). ...
Child sexual violence can cause serious damage to the psychosocial development of its victims. Assessments in this context require the use of several psychological tests with proven validity for this purpose. This study aimed to assess children victims of sexual violence using the Zulliger R-Optimized application. The sample consisted of 37 children of both sexes, aged from seven to 13 years old (M = 10.92), distributed in three groups: Sexual Violence Victims (SVV), Cancer Patients (CP) and the Non-Victim Group (NVG). The statistical analyses were performed using the Mann-Whiney and one-way ANOVA tests. The Zulliger variables concerning the clusters Interpersonal Relationship (GHR, PHR, GHR:PHR, p), Self-Image (MOR) and Processing (W:M) showed statistical differences when the SVV group was compared to the other groups. The Zulliger R-Optimized application shows promising results in assessing SVV children, indicating its usefulness for assessments in this context.
... Dissociation often develops as an adaptive, protective coping mechanism to attenuate distress related to overwhelming childhood trauma (Mutluer et al., 2017). Maltreatment involving direct harm, such as sexual or physical abuse, as well as less overt types of maltreatment such as emotional abuse, neglect, and frightening or unpredictable parenting, can all lead to the development of dissociative coping in children (Briere et al., 2017;Dorahy et al., 2016;Schimmenti & Caretti, 2016). With this understanding of the trauma-related etiology of dissociation, dissociation can be understood as a division or disintegration of an individual's personality that may manifest as: (1) negative symptoms (e.g., some types of amnesia, paralysis), ...
Childhood maltreatment is an important public health problem because it can impair child development and result in chronic physical and mental health disorders and increased social risk. The purpose of this study is to describe the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), dissociation, and the dissociative subtype of PTSD (PTSD-D) among adolescents with exposure to trauma, to describe typologies of service usage by trauma-exposed adolescents, and to examine the co-occurrence of PTSD and dissociation. This study used baseline data from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) Core Data Set (CDS) collected from 2004 to 2010. The sample included 3,081 trauma-exposed adolescents ages 12 to 16 who were seeking clinical services at an NCTSN site. Psychopathology variables were PTSD, dissociation, and behavioral symptoms, measured with the UCLA PTSD Reaction Index, the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children, and the Child Behavior Checklist. Latent class analysis was used to derive a model of service use typologies and PTSD/dissociation groups. This study illuminated the complex relationships between trauma, dissociation, posttraumatic stress, and service utilization in an adolescent population. The PTSD-D group, characterized by depersonalization and derealization, did not substantially differ from the PTSD-only group on trauma history or mental health measures. In a latent class model that accounted for a broader range of dissociation symptoms, distinct PTSD/dissociation groups emerged, including a dissociative subtype group, and PTSD-only group, and a unique dissociation group characterized by dissociative amnesia and detached arousal. There were five distinct service usage typologies with varying levels of pattern complexity and intensity of level of care. Trauma itself, rather than PTSD or dissociation, was associated with service usage complexity. This study suggests that there is a need to broadly assess dissociation symptoms among adolescents in clinical settings and provide trauma-informed care in service sectors where they might be seeking treatment.
... Por un lado, puede haber síntomas compatibles con un posible origen disociativo, ya que la paciente se presentó en urgencias con una crisis de ansiedad incontrolable a pesar de la contención verbal y farmacológica realizada, y se podía sospechar un posible evento traumático en relación con una disfunción familiar de base 2,5 . Del mismo modo, según transcurrió su ingreso hospitalario para filiación del cuadro clínico, presentó conductas regresivas, contacto pueril/heboide a la entrevista, al igual que episodios de risas y llanto inadecuados al contexto 3,7 . ...
Resumen
Introducción
Antes de catalogar un proceso morboso como trastorno mental, es imprescindible tener presente la importancia del diagnóstico precoz de causas de origen no psiquiátrico para una posible presentación clínica. Por ello, trataremos de reflejar este hecho, que se antoja necesario recordar aunque sea bien sabido, ya que puede pasarse por alto en situaciones de urgencia en el ámbito hospitalario, con las consecuencias derivadas de un cribado incompleto y con el potencial riesgo vital para el paciente.
Presentación del caso
Adolescente mujer, de 13 años, que presentó un cuadro clínico agudo sugestivo de carácter disociativo. Se precisó su ingreso hospitalario para la aclaración diagnóstico-terapéutica, y mediante neuroimagen se diagnosticó inicialmente como lesión neoplásica en el tronco del encéfalo y, finalmente, como lesión isquémica de origen vasculítico en dicha localización.
Discusión
Se planteó un diagnóstico diferencial a través de las diferentes etiologías tanto psíquicas como no psíquicas del cuadro clínico, pero fue necesaria la intervención del servicio de pediatría hospitalario para la orientación y filiación definitiva, ante la sospecha de enfermedad no psiquiátrica tras una evolución tórpida a pesar de intervenciones psicoterapéuticas y psicofarmacológicas.
Conclusiones
A través de la presentación y revisión de un caso clínico que sucedió en nuestro hospital de trabajo, se debe insistir en un adecuado abordaje integral del paciente, especialmente con población infanto-juvenil, ante una presentación clínica aguda y sin previas evaluaciones físicas de relevancia.
... In a 2018 meta-analysis examining the effects of IPV victimization on parenting, IPV victimization was associated with more negative parenting behaviors (e.g., physical punishment, disengagement) and fewer positive parenting behaviors (e.g., responsiveness, sensitivity) (Chiesa et al., 2018). As parenting that is harsh and low in warmth is linked to child outcomes such as conduct problems, attachment difficulties, and executive function (Briere et al., 2017;Gershoff, 2010;Gustafsson et al., 2015), IPV is a major public health concern for both survivors and their children. It is thus important to examine factors that may explain how, and for whom, IPV victimization affects parenting. ...
Maternal intimate partner violence (IPV) exposure has been linked to negative parenting outcomes. Studies suggest that parenting stress is an intermediary between IPV exposure and parenting, though past work has relied on small, clinically- referred samples. Moreover, it is unclear if parenting is differentially affected by a mother’s recent versus past history of IPV exposure, or whether a mother’s childhood abuse history moderates the associations of IPV with parenting stress and parenting behaviors. The current study examines whether recent IPV, versus past IPV, has stronger associations with parenting stress and parenting behaviors and tests whether maternal abuse history moderates these associations. Using structural equation modeling, we tested relations between IPV (frequency and recency), parenting stress, and parenting behaviors cross-sectionally and longitudinally in a large community sample of IPV-exposed low-income Hispanic and African American mothers of children aged 0–14 years (N = 1159). We found that mothers who reported IPV exposure in the past year reported higher negative and lower positive parenting behaviors than mothers who reported less recent exposure. Further, we found that the frequency and timing of IPV exposure affected parenting indirectly through increased parenting stress. However, a childhood history of abuse did not appear to sensitize women to these effects. These findings suggest that psychological interventions aimed at reducing the subjective experience of parenting stress, as well as increased access to resources that reduce objective childcare burden, are important for promoting resilience among families exposed to violence.
... Scientific research has also focused on uninvolved parenting, which has indirect effects on sexual or non-sexual abuse and attachment type, increasing the incidence of abuse and making a significant contribution to the attachment insecurity. For that matter, the use of therapeutic interventions centered on attachment is recommended in the treatment of adults abused during childhood (Briere, Runtz, Eadie, Bigras & Godbout, 2017) is suggested. Another study, conducted by Bryant et al. (2017) highlights the effects of early childhood separation during childhood trauma (in this case a devastating fire that occurred in Australia in 1983) on adult attachment and post-traumatic stress. ...
This paper objective is to investigate the elements from childhood that can be associated with some type of attachment in adult relationships. Participants were 207 young people aged between 20 and 30 (M= 23,22), from Romania, who have been in a relationship during the last year. The used instruments were: Parental Authority Questionnaire and Experiences of Close Relationships Inventory. The results supported that a permissive parental style is associated with a low level of anxiety (r = .17) as a dimension of attachment in adult relationships; while authoritarian parental style coincides with avoidance tendencies (r = .17) and an increased anxiety (r = .35) in adult relationships and last but not least, authoritative parental style is associated with low levels of anxiety (r = .19) or avoidance (r = .29) in relation to others. Furthermore, the work revealed differences between participants from single-parent families (following the death of their mother or father) and participants who were raised in two parent families, the latter having a lower level of avoidance, being able to express themselves more easily in relationships and show their affection. The parental structure was not supported as a significant moderator of the relationship between perceived parenting style and attachment.
... As said before, parental support is a significant mediator in determining the extent to which children recover after victimisation (van der Kamp, 2005). Family support and appropriate parental emotional functioning mitigate the potential development of posttraumatic symptomatology (Briere et al., 2017). The relationship with caregivers or parents has proven to be a key protective factor against the development of psychological disorders after experiencing trauma. ...
Defining psychological resilience is a challenge for researchers and mental health professionals. More recent understandings of resilience define it as the capacity of a dynamic system to successfully adapt to disruptive factors that threaten the sustainability or development of that system. The present study aimed to examine the relationships between psychological trauma, depression and certain factors of resilience in a clinical sample of children (N = 103). To test the hypotheses, the following measuring instruments were used: the Trauma Symptom Checklist (TSCC), Beck Youth Inventories - Second Edition, Child and Youth Resilience Measure (CYRM-28), as well as assessment of psychotraumatization. The results were not quite consistent with previous studies of resilience, so that the hypothesis that abused, non-traumatised children would have significantly higher scores on the resilience measure than abused children was not confirmed. The results do suggest that abuse is more likely to occur among children whose caregivers do not provide care for their physical and psychological needs. It has also been confirmed that caregivers’ neglect of psychological needs is related to more significant negative psychological outcomes than caregivers’ neglect of physical needs. Additionally, the study found a greater negative correlation between resilience and depression in traumatised children than in non-traumatised children.
... Scientific research has also focused on uninvolved parenting, which has indirect effects on sexual or non-sexual abuse and attachment type, increasing the incidence of abuse and making a significant contribution to the attachment insecurity. For that matter, the use of therapeutic interventions centered on attachment is recommended in the treatment of adults abused during childhood (Briere, Runtz, Eadie, Bigras & Godbout, 2017) is suggested. Another study, conducted by Bryant et al. (2017) highlights the effects of early childhood separation during childhood trauma (in this case a devastating fire that occurred in Australia in 1983) on adult attachment and post-traumatic stress. ...
This paper objective is to investigate the elements from childhood that can be associated with some type of attachment in adult relationships. Participants were 207 young people aged between 20 and 30 (M= 23,22), from Romania, who have been in a relationship during the last year. The used instruments were: Parental Authority Questionnaire and Experiences of Close Relationships Inventory. The results supported that a permissive parental style is associated with a low level of anxiety (r = .17) as a dimension of attachment in adult relationships; while authoritarian parental style coincides with avoidance tendencies (r = .17) and an increased anxiety (r = .35) in adult relationships and last but not least, authoritative parental style is associated with low levels of anxiety (r = .19) or avoidance (r = .29) in relation to others. Furthermore, the work revealed differences between participants from single-parent families (following the death of their mother or father) and participants who were raised in two parent families, the latter having a lower level of avoidance, being able to express themselves more easily in relationships and show their affection. The parental structure was not supported as a significant moderator of the relationship between perceived parenting style and attachment.
... A safe, nurturing relationship with an adult is one of the most important protective factors in promoting resilience and overcoming exposure to adversity Mortensen & Barnett, 2016). In response, trauma-informed school practices commonly focus on addressing dysregulated stress responses and promoting attachment relationships (Brunzell et al., 2015) through the provision of unconditional positive regard, positive classroom management strategies, consistency, predictability and building positive-student relationships (Briere et al., 2017;Kearns & Hart, 2017). ...
In the last 25 years, converging evidence has supported the view that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have long term negative impacts on physical and mental health. More recently, ACEs have been negatively associated with a range of educational measures. As educational attainment is a determining factor in later socioeconomic position, the education system is likely to play a significant role in responding to ACEs. A critical and reflective examination of the available research will be crucial to intervening in evidence-based ways. While the ACEs movement has been instrumental in highlighting the educational impact of inequality in childhood, the ACEs research is often difficult to parse due to a reliance on checklists and a cumulative risk model. At present, the mechanisms that link ACEs to educational outcomes are still under-researched. Continued discussion of the concept of ACEs and the strengths and limitations of the current research is warranted.
... Similarly structural equation modeling (SEM) is used in understanding learning environment including influence of personal characteristics, course design, and student perceptions of the learning experience on in-the-moment cognitive and emotional engagement (Manwarin and Larsen 2017). SEM is also used in regression of disengaged parenting on child abuse, insecure attachment and symptomatology and gain a better understanding of the interrelationships (Briere and Runtz 2017). The latent variable SEM is applied to investigate relationship between oral language, decoding and two component executive function (cognitive flexibility and working memory) and reading comprehension by Mercedes et al. (2020). ...
In this paper benefit of use of biogas is quantified with structural equation modelling. A survey of 400 households of biogas consumers produced primary data. This primary data is used here. Questionnaire developed for this survey was structured and generated mostly ordinal data. This questionnaire was also pretested and refined. Among several variables studied, distance covered for firewood before and after, source of firewood before and after, income status, educational background, frequency of visit to the hospital and family size were used. Response of consumers on direct benefits like reduced pollution, reduced fuel expenses, reduced physical hazard and reduced physical labour were also considered. Among several structural models explored, two most suitable Time Saved models are discussed here in detail; out of which one model is finalised. This is done using model specification, identification, estimation, testing, identification and validation procedures. Benefit of biogas to the two genders is quantified with odds ratio. It is seen quantitatively that the benefit of biogas to a woman far outweighs its benefit to a man. The direct benefit of biogas to a household in cooking and lighting is obvious, but various hidden benefits and interrelationships cannot be measured. Strong backbone of good quality official records are also missing for data validation. This paper measures and analyses these indirect and latent relationships. It also gives a holistic understanding of the interrelationships.
... According to Hobfoll (1985, p. 403), "individuals who perceive the need for social support must feel enough self-esteem to assert their needs and feel that they are deserving of social support (e.g., love, affection, help)." Additionally, Briere et al. (2017) found disengaged parenting to be significantly more predictive of adult psychological symptomatology (e.g., depression, defensiveness, angry outbursts) than of childhood psychological, sexual, and physical abuse. ...
Social support is crucial for adapting to stress and trauma, processing adverse emotions, developing better mental health, and garnering relationship success. Yet, social support may not always be accessible to those who need it the most. Through participant observation and in-depth interviews, this study examined how men who have perpetrated intimate partner violence (IPV) perceived the availability and adequacy of social ties, as well as how they discursively constructed social support during times of childhood adversity. Results indicated a prevalence of trauma in attachment relationships, a lack of perceived social support, and persistent messages that discouraged help seeking and engendered masculine norms (e.g., self-reliance, aggression, rejection of femininity, restrictive emotionality) and communication styles. The current study illustrates how the effects of adverse childhood experiences may be exacerbated by the absence of positive social ties and adherence to masculine gender norms governing communication. Thus, the protective benefit (or the “buffering effect”) of social support appears to be inaccessible for this specific population. Findings suggest so-called “batterer intervention program” groups could provide measures to increase perpetrators’ sense of social support during the intervention process and work to deconstruct additional masculine gender beliefs (i.e., in addition to power and control) to alleviate some of social and psychological effects of early childhood adversity.
Purpose
Previous studies predominantly focused on the single-context violence exposure on depression or academic performance, which may inaccurately estimate the effects of certain violence for the co-occurrence of violence across contexts. The present study aimed to simultaneously examine the associations between domestic violence exposure, school violence exposure, depression and academic performance, as well as the gender differences in relationship above mentioned.
Methods
Participants (N = 1216, 55.3% boys, T1: Mage = 14.45) were adolescents recruited from a junior high school in Guangdong Province, China. Demographic variables, experience of violence exposure and depression were assessed based on self-reported questionnaires at Time 1. Students’ academic performance record at Time 2 (six months later) were provided by the school. The analysis was conducted in SPSS 26.0 and MPLUS 8.3.
Results
Depression fully mediated the relationship between domestic violence exposure and academic performance, and partially mediated the association between school violence exposure and academic performance. Regarding gender differences, school violence exposure was associated with higher level of depression among girls, whereas depression was related with worse academic performance among boys.
Conclusions
Both domestic and school violence exposure are associated with academic performance through depression, and these relationships are moderated by gender.
Adverse childhood experiences have been linked to psychopathology due to reduced social networks or social thinning. However, evidence of the temporal associations between adverse childhood experiences, social networks, and psychopathology was lacking, as few studies assessed social networks repeatedly. Further, their underlying neurocognitive and biological mechanisms related to hypervigilance and inflammation remain unclear. This study aimed to clarify these associations using a three-wave population-based cohort study during the COVID-19 pandemic (n = 465), where we leveraged repeated social network assessments. Self-reported questionnaires assessed adverse childhood experiences, social network size and diversity, psychological distress, and hypervigilance regarding COVID-19. Blood tests were conducted to measure inflammation markers. Individuals with more adverse childhood experiences demonstrated lesser increases in their social networks than those without adverse childhood experiences. Decreased network sizes were associated with severe psychological distress, but this association did not remain after adjusting for baseline distress. On the other hand, reduced network diversities were associated with increased psychological distress. We did not find any paths through hypervigilance regarding COVID-19 and inflammation that explain associations between adverse childhood experiences, social thinning, and psychological distress. These findings emphasize the significant social network changes in the associations between adverse childhood experiences and psychopathology.
Amaç: Bu çalışmada, 4-6 yaş çocuğu olan ebeveynlerin istismar farkındalık düzeylerinin ve istismara ilişkin eğitim gereksinimlerinin belirlenmesi amaçlamıştır. Materyal-metot: Araştırmanın örneklemini Türkiye’nin farklı şehirlerinden 339 ebeveyn oluşturmaktadır. Bulgular:Çalışmada elde edilen bulgular katılımcıların çocuk istismar ve ihmal potansiyellerinin orta düzeyde olduğunu (X̄: 54,96) göstermektedir. Çocuğa yönelik istismar veihmal konusunda yeterli bilgi düzeyine sahip olduğunu belirten katılımcıların ölçek toplam puanları ile diğer katılımcıların toplam ölçek puanları arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı farklılık bulunmamıştır (p >,05). Sonuç: Çocuk haklarına her ortamda vurgu yapılmasına ve çocuk istismarı konusunda farkındalık yaratmaya yönelik yoğun çabalara rağmen mevcut araştırmada elde edilen sonuçlar, önleme çalışmalarında farklı yaklaşımların benimsenmesi gerektiğini doğrulamaktadır. Araştırmada elde edilen bulgular, genel halka veya büyük gruplara yönelik eğitimler düzenlemek yerine daha küçük gruplara yönelik eğitim programları düzenlenmesinin; sağlık kurumları çocuk klinikleri, okul öncesi eğitim kurumları vb. olup ebeveynlere yönelik eğitim programlarının düzenlenmesinin hem etkililik hem de süreklilik açısından etkili olacağına inanılmaktadır.
Background:
Traumatic bonding, defined as attachment to a perpetrator of intimate partner violence (IPV), offers one explanation as to why many people with abusive romantic partners do not break off these relationships. But what individual-level risk factors make some victims of IPV more likely than others to develop traumatic bonding toward their partners? What is the nature of the potential association between traumatic bonding and PTSD symptoms?
Participants:
A path model tested the potential roles of childhood maltreatment and attachment insecurity as risk factors for traumatic bonding, as well as the potential association between traumatic bonding and PTSD symptoms, in a high-risk sample of 354 participants in current abusive relationships.
Results:
As hypothesized, childhood maltreatment and attachment insecurity significantly predicted traumatic bonding over and above the effects of age, gender, and romantic love. In addition, attachment insecurity moderated the association between childhood maltreatment and traumatic bonding, such that at higher levels of attachment insecurity, the association between childhood maltreatment and traumatic bonding was stronger than at mean or lower levels of attachment insecurity. Traumatic bonding was positively associated with PTSD symptoms.
Conclusions:
Overall, the results support the role of childhood maltreatment as a risk factor for both traumatic bonding and PTSD symptoms and highlight the importance of attachment insecurity in these associations. This was the first study to examine a complex model of risk factors for traumatic bonding. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.
Introduction:
Before cataloguing a morbid process as a "mental disorder", it is essential to bear in mind the importance of early diagnosis of causes of non-psychiatric origin for a possible clinical presentation. For this reason, we will try to reflect this fact, which it seems necessary to remember even though it is well known, since it can be overlooked in emergency situations in the hospital setting, with the consequences derived from an incomplete diagnosis and with the potential life-threatening risk for the patient.
Case presentation:
A 13-year-old female adolescent, who presented an acute clinical picture suggestive of dissociative disorder. She required hospital admission for diagnostic-therapeutic clarification, and neuroimaging findings led to an initial diagnosis of a neoplastic lesion in the brain stem and, finally, as ischaemic lesion of vasculitic origin in said location.
Discussion:
A differential diagnosis was proposed through the different psychic and non-psychic aetiologies of the clinical picture, but the intervention of the hospital's paediatric service was necessary for orientation and definitive affiliation, given the suspicion of non-psychiatric illness after a torpid evolution in spite of psychotherapeutic and psychopharmacological interventions.
Conclusions:
Through the presentation and review of a clinical case that happened in our hospital, we must insist on an adequate comprehensive approach to the patient, especially with the child-adolescent population, when faced with an acute clinical presentation and without previous studies at a relevant physical level.
Here, mental health during COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown is studied. Multivariate statistics techniques namely, Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were used. This study is based on a primary data. This data has information on 38 variables related to mental health. Some of the variables used in SEM are, Worry about food, Eat limited variety of food, Eat food that you did not want to eat, Eat smaller meal, Eat fewer meal, No food to eat of any kind, Affected my routine, Limited my social life, Reduced my travelling, Increased my household food consumption, Increased food shortage, Disturbed my sleeping pattern, Increased financial uncertainty, Decreased earning and income, Had fears of losing my job, Depressed due to uncertainty, Anxious due to uncertainty, Afraid of getting COVID-19, Afraid of losing my life and my relatives life, New and Media increased my tension, I am afraid of COVID outbreak and Stress level and anxiety level increased. Here three models were tested. The best model gave top values in terms of model efficiency parameters. This model is also represented with the help of path diagram. CCA predicted the relationship between the two groups of variables. These two groups are Cause and Effect of Deterioration in Mental Health. In SEM and CCA, model validation was done by drawing random samples of size 400.
The experience of childhood trauma is known to predict health-relevant outcomes across the lifespan. Previous reviews summarize existing knowledge of the implications of childhood trauma for health in young adults and adults more generally. The current theoretical review aims to integrate the existing literature on the relationship between childhood trauma and health-relevant outcomes specifically in college students, consolidating findings across specific health domains. Further, the following theoretical review highlights the need for more research in this area and discusses how college campuses may use the knowledge in this area of work to develop targeted interventions aimed at improving the health of college students who experienced trauma in childhood.
Research on maltreatment exposure often demonstrates mixed findings and a potential explanation for this may be the measurement of maltreatment. One approach for addressing measurement concerns, which also accounts for maltreatment’s multidimensional nature, is the use of a measurement or latent model. However, there is minimal evidence on the generalizability of this approach across populations of youth. This study examined measurement invariance of a one-factor maltreatment model across two samples of youth exposed to maltreatment using case file data from the SPARK and LONGSCAN datasets ( N = 1286). Results showed that only partial metric invariance could be established for the one-factor model between SPARK and LONGSCAN subsamples, and neglect and emotional abuse indicators tended to show low factor loadings. Findings highlight the need to consider how potential differences in documentation and maltreatment rates influence model performance and the need for research on which maltreatment characteristics may best capture youths’ experiences.
The child welfare system is primarily designed to serve children who have been maltreated, a form of parenting that is arguably the most deleterious that children can experience. The latest national data indicate that there were 618,000 children in the U.S. Who were maltreated in 2020, at a rate of 8.4 per thousand children (Administration for Children and Families, 2020). Beyond being direct victims of child abuse and neglect, they may experience a multitude of environmental risks, including poverty, parental mental illness, parental substance use, and family and community violence (Hecht & Hansen, 2001; McKenzie et al., 2011). These contextual risks lead to a variety of adverse outcomes for maltreated children that span developmental domains (Jonson-Reid et al., 2012; Jones Harden et al., 2016; Toth & Manly, 2019). The features of the parenting that maltreated children experience may exacerbate or compensate for these contextual risks, and influence their short- and long-term developmental trajectories.
Parenting is a critical influence on the development of children across the globe. This handbook brings together scholars with expertise on parenting science and interventions for a comprehensive review of current research. It begins with foundational theories and research topics, followed by sections on parenting children at different ages, factors that affect parenting such as parental mental health or socioeconomic status, and parenting children with different characteristics such as depressed and anxious children or youth who identify as LGBTQ. It concludes with a section on policy implications, as well as prevention and intervention programs that target parenting as a mechanism of change. Global perspectives and the cultural diversity of families are highlighted throughout. Offering in-depth analysis of key topics such as risky adolescent behavior, immigration policy, father engagement, family involvement in education, and balancing childcare and work, this is a vital resource for understanding the most effective policies to support parents in raising healthy children.
Here, mental health during COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown is studied. Multivariate statistics techniques namely, Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) is used. This study is based on a primary data. This data has information on 38 variables related to mental health. Some of the variables used in SEM are, Worry about food, Eat limited variety of food, Eat food that you did not want to eat, Eat smaller meal, Eat fewer meal, No food to eat of any kind, Affected my routine, Limited my social life, Reduced my travelling, Increased my household food consumption, Increased food shortage, Disturbed my sleeping pattern, Increased financial uncertainty, Decreased earning and income, Had fears of losing my job, Depressed due to uncertainty, Anxious due to uncertainty, Afraid of getting COVID-19, Afraid of losing my life and my relatives life, New and Media increased my tension, I am afraid of COVID outbreak and Stress level and anxiety level increased. Here three models were tested. The best model gave top values in terms of model efficiency parameters. This model is also represented with the help of path diagram. CCA predicted the relationship between the two groups of variables. These two groups are Cause and Effect of Deterioration in Mental Health. In SEM and CCA, model validation was done by drawing random samples of size 400.
Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is linked to negative consequences, including insomnia. Few studies have examined the enduring effects of CSA on adult insomnia. Given the relationship between sleep and poor health, a better understanding of these effects has clinical implications. We used a representative adult twin sample. Both sexes were assessed with a broad CSA variable, with a subset of females (n = 424) given additional items capturing escalating physical contact and abuse characteristics. A sum score of past-month insomnia symptoms was calculated from the Symptom Checklist-90 (shortened version). Logistic regression was used to estimate the effects of CSA, physical contact, and incident characteristics on insomnia symptoms. Of the full sample (N = 8,184), 9.8% reported CSA. CSA significantly predicted insomnia symptoms in the female sample (n = 1,407; odds ratio [OR] = 1.67, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.35-2.06, p < .0001) but the continuum of physical contact did not. Individually, more than 1 perpetrator and feeling forced/threatened increased sleep risk, whereas having a male perpetrator (vs. female or multiple) decreased risk. These associations did not hold when combined. In the mixed-sex sample (n = 6,777), we replicated our CSA finding (OR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.34-2.04, p < .0001) and found that female gender (OR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.03-1.30, p = .0125), but not the gender*CSA interaction, was significant. CSA predicts adult insomnia symptoms decades after abuse, but the small sample size for incident characteristics (n = 424) resulted in limited conclusions about associated risk. (PsycINFO Database Record
The objective of this meta-analysis is to address three questions drawn from one of the basic postulates of parental acceptance–rejection theory: (1) To what extent is children’s perceptions of parental indifference/neglect related to their psychological maladjustment? (2) To what extent is children’s perceptions of parental indifference/neglect related to their negative personality dispositions? (3) Do relations found in these questions vary by the gender of parents? The meta-analysis was based on 33 studies from 15 countries on four continents involving 11,755 children (52 % boys and 48 % girls). All studies included in the meta-analysis, used child versions of the Parental Acceptance–Rejection Questionnaire for Mothers and for Fathers, as well as the child version of the Personality Assessment Questionnaire. Results showed that perceived maternal and paternal indifference/neglect correlated significantly with the psychological maladjustment and negative personality dispositions of children across ethnicities, cultures, and geographical boundaries. There were no significant differences between the effect sizes of perceived maternal and paternal indifference/neglect on either psychological maladjustment, or negative personality dispositions of children.
Abstract The present study investigates the effects of violent experiences in childhood on current domestic violence and marital adjustment, using adult attachment theory as a conceptual framework. A nonclinical sample of 644 Canadian adults in long-term romantic relationships completed measures of adult romantic attachment, conflict tactics scales, and dyadic adjustment. Structural equation modeling revealed that early experiences of violence affect adults' intimate violence directly and indirectly through anxiety over abandonment and avoidance of intimacy. The actor–partner interdependence model illustrated the importance of early exposure to violence in predicting both partners' attachment representations, intimate violence, and couple adjustment. Findings are discussed with reference to the clinical issues surrounding minor violence against the intimate partner.
While the neurobiology of post-traumatic stress disorder has been extensively researched, much less attention has been paid to the neural mechanisms underlying more covert but pervasive types of trauma (e.g., those involving disrupted relationships and insecure attachment). Here, we report on a neurobiological study documenting that mothers' attachment-related trauma, when unresolved, undermines her optimal brain response to her infant's distress. We examined the amygdala blood oxygenation level-dependent response in 42 first-time mothers as they underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning, viewing happy- and sad-face images of their own infant, along with those of a matched unknown infant. Whereas mothers with no trauma demonstrated greater amygdala responses to the sad faces of their own infant as compared to their happy faces, mothers who were classified as having unresolved trauma in the Adult Attachment Interview (Dynamic Maturational Model) displayed blunted amygdala responses when cued by their own infants' sadness as compared to happiness. Unknown infant faces did not elicit differential amygdala responses between the mother groups. The blunting of the amygdala response in traumatized mothers is discussed as a neural indication of mothers' possible disengagement from infant distress, which may be part of a process linking maternal unresolved trauma and disrupted maternal caregiving.
The validity of the insecure/disorganized attachment pattern has been clearly established in over 80 studies with more than 100 samples. However, given that child maltreatment is considered one of the most important causes of insecure/disorganized attachment, it is notable that few studies have been published specifically examining the maltreatment/insecure attachment hypothesis. The purpose of this paper was to review the research findings and conduct a meta‐analysis to examine the effect size of maltreatment and insecure attachment across studies. A second goal was to conduct a subpopulation analysis to investigate effect size by type of maltreatment. Following a literature search which yielded 25 articles, we identified eight studies (n = 791) that: (a) consisted of children who experienced different types of maltreatment including cases of malnutrition and failure‐to‐thrive, (b) consisted of children under 48 months of age, (c) used the Strange Situation or a modification of it to measure attachment, (d) had comparison groups, and (e) contained sufficient detail to conduct a meta‐analysis. Results showed that the maltreated infants were significantly more likely to have an insecure attachment than the controls. A subpopulation analysis by type of abuse was conducted. Overall the findings support the maltreatment/insecure attachment hypothesis. The subpopulation analysis, although extremely small, indicates that different types of maltreatment affect the magnitude of the effect. These findings suggest further investigation into the differential impact by type or multiple types of maltreatment as well as the frequency of events on outcomes.
Child sexual abuse is considered a modifiable risk factor for mental disorders across the life course. However the long-term consequences of other forms of child maltreatment have not yet been systematically examined. The aim of this study was to summarise the evidence relating to the possible relationship between child physical abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect, and subsequent mental and physical health outcomes.
A systematic review was conducted using the Medline, EMBASE, and PsycINFO electronic databases up to 26 June 2012. Published cohort, cross-sectional, and case-control studies that examined non-sexual child maltreatment as a risk factor for loss of health were included. All meta-analyses were based on quality-effects models. Out of 285 articles assessed for eligibility, 124 studies satisfied the pre-determined inclusion criteria for meta-analysis. Statistically significant associations were observed between physical abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect and depressive disorders (physical abuse [odds ratio (OR) = 1.54; 95% CI 1.16-2.04], emotional abuse [OR = 3.06; 95% CI 2.43-3.85], and neglect [OR = 2.11; 95% CI 1.61-2.77]); drug use (physical abuse [OR = 1.92; 95% CI 1.67-2.20], emotional abuse [OR = 1.41; 95% CI 1.11-1.79], and neglect [OR = 1.36; 95% CI 1.21-1.54]); suicide attempts (physical abuse [OR = 3.40; 95% CI 2.17-5.32], emotional abuse [OR = 3.37; 95% CI 2.44-4.67], and neglect [OR = 1.95; 95% CI 1.13-3.37]); and sexually transmitted infections and risky sexual behaviour (physical abuse [OR = 1.78; 95% CI 1.50-2.10], emotional abuse [OR = 1.75; 95% CI 1.49-2.04], and neglect [OR = 1.57; 95% CI 1.39-1.78]). Evidence for causality was assessed using Bradford Hill criteria. While suggestive evidence exists for a relationship between maltreatment and chronic diseases and lifestyle risk factors, more research is required to confirm these relationships.
This overview of the evidence suggests a causal relationship between non-sexual child maltreatment and a range of mental disorders, drug use, suicide attempts, sexually transmitted infections, and risky sexual behaviour. All forms of child maltreatment should be considered important risks to health with a sizeable impact on major contributors to the burden of disease in all parts of the world. The awareness of the serious long-term consequences of child maltreatment should encourage better identification of those at risk and the development of effective interventions to protect children from violence. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary.
Questionnaire measures of attachment style, attachment history, beliefs about relationships, self-esteem, limerence, loving, love addiction, and love styles were administered to 374 undergraduates. Attachment style was related in theoretically expected ways to attachment history and to beliefs about relationships. Securely attached Ss reported relatively positive perceptions of their early family relationships. Avoidant Ss were most likely to report childhood separation from their mother and to express mistrust of others. Anxious-ambivalent subjects were less likely than avoidant Ss to see their father as supportive, and they reported a lack of independence and a desire for deep commitment in relationships. The self-esteem measure and each of the scales measuring forms of love were factor analyzed separately. Analyses based on scale scores derived from the resulting factors indicated that attachment style was also strongly related to self-esteem and to the various forms of love discussed in other theoretical frameworks. The results suggest that attachment theory offers a useful perspective on adult love relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Attachment theory is among the most sweeping, comprehensive theories in psychology today. The theory addresses these issues from a variety of perspectives, including physiological, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral. The theory articulates constructs and processes that are relevant to understanding elements of social development, interpersonal behavior, relationship functioning, psychosocial adjustment, and clinical disorders. The chapters in this volume address many of these multifaceted issues. This introductory chapter comprises two sections. In the first, we review some of the basic concepts that anchor attachment theory. This section is targeted to readers who might be new to the attachment field. It focuses in large part on the seminal theoretical and empirical attachment work involving young children, but it also reviews some of the major principles of attachment processes in adults. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
This study tested a moderation model in which the association between child sexual abuse severity and negative sexual outcomes (i.e., sexual avoidance and compulsivity) differed as a function of relationships status (i.e., single, cohabiting, and married individuals). A sample of 1,033 adults completed self-report questionnaires online, and 21.5% reported childhood sexual abuse. Path analyses indicated that child sexual abuse severity was associated with higher sexual compulsivity in single individuals, both higher sexual avoidance and compulsivity in cohabiting individuals, and higher sexual avoidance in married individuals. The moderation model was invariant across men and women. These results suggest that the time course of negative sexual outcomes associated with child sexual abuse may follow distinct patterns of expression according to relationship status.
The authors review the theory of romantic, or pair-bond, attachment as it was originally formulated by C. Hazan and P. R. Shaver in 1987 and describe how it has evolved over more than a decade. In addition, they discuss 5 issues related to the theory that need further clarification: (a) the nature of attachment relationships, (b) the evolution and function of attachment in adulthood, (c) models of individual differences in attachment, (d) continuity and change in attachment security, and (e) the integration of attachment, sex, and caregiving. In discussing these issues, they provide leads for future research and outline a more complete theory of romantic attachment.
This article surveys bootstrap methods for producing good approximate confidence intervals. The goal is to improve by an order of magnitude upon the accuracy of the standard intervals θ̂ ± z(α) σ̂, in a way that allows routine application even to very complicated problems. Both theory and examples are used to show how this is done. The first seven sections provide a heuristic overview of four bootstrap confidence interval procedures: BCa, bootstrap-t, ABC and calibration. Sections 8 and 9 describe the theory behind these methods, and their close connection with the likelihood-based confidence interval theory developed by Barndorff-Nielsen, Cox and Reid and others.
The Trauma Symptom Inventory (TSI; Briere, 1995), a measure of the psychological effects of trauma and other adverse events, was recently expanded and updated (TSI-2; Briere, 2011). This study evaluated four competing models of TSI-2 dimensionality and determined the predictive validity of the best-fitting solution. Data were collected from 679 adults in the general population. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that a four-factor solution, in which Somatization was an additional factor, better fit the data. All four factors of the final model were significant predictors of exposure to trauma or some other very upsetting event, especially Posttraumatic Stress. Additional research is indicated to further probe the characteristics of the TSI-2, including its dimensionality in other groups.
There are vast individual differences in the ways in which people approach close relationships. Where do these differences come from? According to developmental perspectives, including attachment theory, these differences are rooted in people's interpersonal experiences, starting with their earliest relationships. In the present review we outline alternative models on whether and how early experiences with primary caregivers shape developmental adaptation. We also review recent empirical data which suggests that, at least in some domains, early experiences can leave an enduring mark on psychological development.
Foreword - Lucy Berliner Preface - David Finkelhor Introduction PART ONE: INCIDENCE OF CHILD ABUSE Type and Forms of Child Maltreatment PART TWO: THE LONG-TERM IMPACTS OF CHILD ABUSE: INTEGRATION OF RESEARCH AND THEORY Long-Term Impacts of Child Abuse I Psychological Responses Long-Term Impacts of Child Abuse II Behaviors and Relationships PART THREE: EXPLORING THE SOLUTION: ABUSE-FOCUSED PSYCHOTHERAPY Philosophy of Treatment Parameters of Treatment I Process Issues Parameters of Treatment II Intervention Approaches Special Issues in Abuse-Focused Therapy Summary Appendix The Child Maltreatment Interview Schedule
This article reviews empirical studies investigating the effects of child neglect on children's development. A number of methodological problems inherent in the study of child neglect are described and discussed in terms of their impact on our ability to interpret existing findings. Empirical findings are organized according to domains of development, including physical, intellectual, social, behavioral, and affective functioning. Throughout the review, a developmental perspective is suggested as a means of conceptualizing neglect and understanding its impact on the developing child.
Nonviolent couples with destructive conflict frequently create one-sided or mutual emotional abuse. Therapists who work with these couples know that without sufficient structure and specific therapeutic interventions the sessions can quickly become verbally explosive and counterproductive. In order to understand the meaning and consequences of destructive conflict, the dynamic is approached from several theoretical perspectives. Clinical concepts such as power regulation, cognitive schema, high arousal, defensive splitting and problem laden stories are then used to develop an integrated approach to therapy. Treatment recommendations include creating a safe environment, working with splitting and underlying belief systems, creating a vision of change and supporting new ways of relating. Lastly, the therapist's personal reactions are explored in order to maximize understanding and effective treatment.
A new instrument, the Psychological Maltreatment Review (PMR), is introduced and its psychometrics are described. The PMR examines adult retrospective reports of child psychological abuse, psychological neglect, and psychological support, measured separately for maternal and paternal figures. Male and female participants (N = 1,051) completed the PMR and a measure of adult attachment, the Revised Experiences in Close Relationships scale (Fraley, Waller, & Brennan, 2000). The three scales of the PMR demonstrated very good internal consistency. The structural validity of the PMR was supported by both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, as was the notion of an independent parental support/nonsupport variable. Indicative of the construct validity of this measure, all PMR scales were significantly correlated with anxious and avoidant attachment in close relationships. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that paternal neglect and maternal psychological abuse predicted participants' anxious attachment, whereas less paternal and maternal support was associated with avoidant attachment.
A framework for hypothesis testing and power analysis in the assessment of fit of covariance structure models is presented. We emphasize the value of confidence intervals for fit indices, and we stress the relationship of confidence intervals to a framework for hypothesis testing. The approach allows for testing null hypotheses of not-good fit, reversing the role of the null hypothesis in conventional tests of model fit, so that a significant result provides strong support for good fit. The approach also allows for direct estimation of power, where effect size is defined in terms of a null and alternative value of the root-mean-square error of approximation fit index proposed by J. H. Steiger and J. M. Lind (1980). It is also feasible to determine minimum sample size required to achieve a given level of power for any test of fit in this framework. Computer programs and examples are provided for power analyses and calculation of minimum sample sizes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
This article is concerned with measures of fit of a model. Two types of error involved in fitting a model are considered. The first is error of approximation which involves the fit of the model, with optimally chosen but unknown parameter values, to the population covariance matrix. The second is overall error which involves the fit of the model, with parameter values estimated from the sample, to the population covariance matrix. Measures of the two types of error are proposed and point and interval estimates of the measures are suggested. These measures take the number of parameters in the model into account in order to avoid penalizing parsimonious models. Practical difficulties associated with the usual tests of exact fit or a model are discussed and a test of “close fit” of a model is suggested.
Objectives. This study pursued three objectives: provide a descriptive behavioral profile of preschool-aged children having disclosed sexual abuse (SA); assess their attachment representations; and explore whether SA characteristics and child attachment security can predict children's symptomatology, while controlling for parental psychological distress. Method. Parents consulting a specialized medical clinic in Montreal following the child's disclosure of sexual abuse (n = 116) completed measures regarding parental psychological distress (Echelle de Detresse Psychologique de l'Enquete de Sante Quebec; Preville, Boyer, Potvin, Perrault, & Legare, 1992) and behavioral and psychological problems concerning their preschool-aged children (3 to 6 years) (Child Behavior Checklist for Ages 11/2-5 (CBCL) (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2000a). Children responded to a semi-structured interview assessing their attachment representations (Attachment Story Completion Task; Bretherton, Oppenheim, Buchsbaum, & Emde, 1990). Data concerning SA characteristics were provided by medical records (History of Victimization Form; Wolfe, Gentile, & Boudreau, 1987). Results. Secure attachment was observed in 58.6% of the children evaluated, and 73.3% of the children had experienced a very severe SA. Parental psychological distress, the intra-familial nature of the sexual abuse experienced, and disorganised/disoriented child attachment were found to predict clinical levels of internalizing behavior problems. Clinical levels of externalizing behavior problems were predicted by child age, avoidant attachment and disorganized/disoriented attachment. Conclusions. Disorganised/disoriented attachment brings a unique contribution to the prediction of sexually abused preschoolers' clinical internalizing and externalizing difficulties, beyond SA characteristics (type and severity) and parental psychological distress. This underscores the importance of attachment representations in the prediction of emotional and behavioural difficulties in sexually abused children. Practice implications: clinical intervention for sexually abused preschoolers should focus on personal and familial variables, namely attachment security and the quality of parent child relationships. (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.
(Publisher-supplied data) The classic text is Psychometric Theory. Like the previous edition, this text is designed as a comprehensive text in measurement for researchers and for use in graduate courses in psychology, education and areas of business such as management and marketing. It is intended to consider the broad measurement problems that arise in these areas and is written for a reader who needs only a basic background in statistics to comprehend the material. It also combines classical procedures that explain variance with modern inferential procedures.
The authors review the theory of romantic, or pair-bond, attachment as it was originally formulated by C. Hazan and P. R. Shaver in 1987 and describe how it has evolved over more than a decade. In addition, they discuss 5 issues related to the theory that need further clarification: (a) the nature of attachment relationships, (b) the evolution and function of attachment in adulthood, (c) models of individual differences in attachment, (d) continuity and change in attachment security, and (e) the integration of attachment, sex, and caregiving. In discussing these issues, they provide leads for future research and outline a more complete theory of romantic attachment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
The first section, "Overview of Attachment Theory," provides an updated primer on the theory. The second section of the volume, "Biological Perspectives," stems from J. Bowlby's reliance on ethology and primate research in the creation of attachment theory. The third section of the volume, "Attachment in Infancy and Childhood," contains 3 chapters that provide an overview of empirical research on patterns of attachment in infancy and childhood. The fourth section, "Attachment in Adolescence and Adulthood," contains chapters growing out of Bowlby's early contention that attachment characterizes humans "from the cradle to the grave." The fifth section of the volume, "Clinical Applications of Attachment Theory and Research," contains chapters that reflect the strong roots of attachment theory in clinical psychology and psychiatry, and the contributions that the theory and associated research can now make to clinical work. The final section of the volume,"Emerging Topics and Perspectives," provides a sampling of the wide array of areas into which attachment theory and research are being extended. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Argues that although the effects of active abuse on the etiology of multiple personality disorder (MPD) are important, attachment issues (J. Bowlby, 1988) are the central part of the disorder. Just as the mother's failure to respond to and protect her child affects every developmental task, so do attachment issues affect every aspect of the treatment. The achievement of an internalized secure base allows MPD patients to abandon dissociation as a coping style, so that they can feel a part of their world. A clinical example involving a female patient is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
The study reported in this chapter examines the long-term consequences of various aspects of maltreatment (types, chronicity, and severity) across the range of behavior problems and psychopathology. Data for the study comes from the Mother–Child Project, a longitudinal study of children and their families originally drawn from a high risk poverty population. A sample of 267 low-income mothers pregnant with their 1st child were enrolled during pregnancy and have been followed for 19 yrs. Outcomes to assess the effects of maltreatment included academic achievement, behavior problems, psychiatric disorders, and adolescent adjustment. Measures included the Child Behavior Checklist, the Adolescent Health Survey, the Woodcock Johnson Psycho-Educational battery, and the K-SADS Diagnostic Interview.
Results indicate that children who were maltreated in the early years had a variety of problems in adolescence. Maltreatment was strong associated with school failure, drug and alcohol problems, and a variety of behavior problems including serious psychopathology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Electronic computers facilitate greatly carrying out factor analysis. Computers will help in solving the communality problem and the question of the number of factors as well as the question of arbitrary factoring and the problem of rotation. "Cloacal short-cuts will not be necessary and the powerful methods of Guttman will be feasible." A library of programs essential for factor analysis is described, and the use of medium sized computers as the IBM 650 deprecated for factor analysis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Describes the consequences of maltreatment in early childhood, followed by a discussion of major developmental issues during infancy and toddlerhood and salient features of sensitive and insensitive parenting during those periods. Tables summarize the behavior of children who were maltreated (1) during the 1st 2 yrs of life and (2) between 4 and 6 yrs of age. All of the abused children had difficulty meeting task demands at school, were unpopular with their peers, seemed to have an abiding anger, and had difficulty functioning independently in school and laboratory situations. All these common problems were tied to the lack of nurturance central to each pattern of abuse observed in the families. A lack of sensitivity and support was manifest in various ways over the course of the child's development. Implications for school psychologists are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
empirical findings on psychological outcomes for maltreated children / subtypes of maltreatment / separating the effects of maltreatment from the effects of other environmental influences / developmental considerations in examining consequences of maltreatment / new directions in maltreatment research / the Minnesota Mother-Child Interaction Project / adaptation of maltreated children: infancy through preschool / hostile/verbal abuse group / neglected children / children of psychologically unavailable mothers / chronicity of abuse / sexually abused children (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)