The impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on children’s trust and schematic attachment representations: A hair cortisol study

• In Event: Attachment representations, stress, and mental health during childhood, adolescence, and the transition to motherhood

Abstract

The Learning Theory of Attachment (LTA; Bosmans et al., 2020) proposes that attachment development is linked to hormonal processes, amongst others, relevant for stress regulation. The stress hormone cortisol is one of the protagonists in this stress regulation system. As a response to stress, cortisol levels will increase. Previous research revealed that parental support decreases the level of cortisol in children during distress (Hostinar et al., 2015). Bosmans and colleagues (2020) assume that a decline in cortisol levels is needed for the development of a secure base script, which is a cognitive scheme constructed from attachment-related mental representations of secure base support (Waters & Waters, 2006). According to the LTA, high cortisol levels could indicate insufficient or a lack of secure base support which interferes with the development of a Secure Base Script. The current study tested the hypothesis that higher levels of cortisol, indicating less parental support, during the first COVID-related lockdown, impacts attachment development in the same period. To test this hypothesis, the current study used hair cortisol as a biological marker for chronic stress during the lockdown.

Fifty-eight children (aged 8-12) participated in this study (for bivariate correlations and descriptives, see Table 1). These children donated a hair sample of three centimeters (one centimeter for each month of the lockdown). These hair samples were used to determine the cortisol and DHEA (which can be considered as an antagonist for the negative side-effects caused by cortisol secretion) levels during the lockdown. Additionally, middle childhood Secure Base Script knowledge (measured with the Middle Childhood Attachment Script Assessment; Waters et al., 2015) and self-reported trust toward their mother (measured with the People In My Life Questionnaire; Ridenour et al., 2006) were measured before the lockdown (W1) and after the lockdown (W2) to assess attachment development.

Repeated measures two-way ANOVA was conducted in SPSS with time as within subject variable, hair cortisol as a moderator (between subject variable) and gender, hair color, length, weight and DHEA as covariates. An interaction effect between time and hair cortisol was found for both secure base script knowledge (F(1, 56) = 8.852, p = .004) and trust (F(1, 56) = 9.670, p = .003). Furthermore, the results support the hypothesis showing that lower hair cortisol levels were linked to an increase in secure base script knowledge over time (t(28) = -2.435, p = .011; Fig. 1a). Higher hair cortisol levels were linked to a decrease in self-reported trust (t(28) = 4.649, p < .001; Fig. 1b).

Taken together, this study provided further evidence for the role of cortisol in the development of attachment. Higher cortisol levels appear to be associated with less development of secure attachment. Further, hair cortisol seems an interesting and promising method of including longer-term stress in the research of attachment development.

Authors

• Marlies Wintmolders

• Bien Cuyvers, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven)

• Marian J Bakermans-Kranenburg, ISPA Lisbon

• Marinus H. van IJzendoorn, University College London (UCL)

• Guy Bosmans, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven)
  Presenting Author