Poster #134 - Adolescent Predictors of Anxiety, Depression, and Physical Health in Adulthood: Role of Affect and Relationships

• In Event: Poster Session 01

Abstract

Introduction
Affective response in social situations is dependent upon experiences in early childhood relationships and linked to life outcomes such as physical and mental health (Mikulincer, Shaver, & Pereg, 2003). Less clear is how having a negative affective arousal style may interact with the quality of important relationships to predict mental health and physical health problems. This study aimed to examine associations between adolescent relationship quality with parents and peers and mental and physical health in the context of negative affective arousal. It was hypothesized that 1) Negative arousal would predict lower quality parental and peer relationships, and 2) Lower parental and peer relationship quality would predict worse internalizing symptoms and physical health, with stronger effects for participants with higher negative affective arousal. Finally, because attachment orientation has also been linked to emotion regulation difficulties, this study hypothesized that 3) Having an initial insecure attachment with parents would predict greater negative affective arousal (Mikulincer & Shaver, 2019).
Method
Data originated from a community sample of 184 adolescents (86 males, 98 females) at ages 12, 13/14, 17, and 27. The sample was diverse (63% European-American, 27% African-American, and 14% mixed race/ethnicities; baseline median family income was $40,000 to $59,000). At age 12, participants completed the Adolescent Attachment Interview. Participants’ subjective experience of attachment-related arousal was assessed using the Affective Arousal Scale at age 13/14 in the context of both a support-seeking and disagreement task with parents. At age 17, participants completed the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment, which assessed trust, communication, alienation, and quality of the individual’s relationship with parents, best friend, and broader social circles. At age 27, internalizing symptoms were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and physical health assessment was conducted via measuring Interlukin6 and C-Reactive Protein in participants’ blood.
Results and Discussion
Hypotheses were assessed utilizing regression analysis. Negative arousal predicted alienation within the teen-mom relationship (β= .24,p<.05) and lower overall friendship quality β=-.26,p<.05), and levels of alienation, communication, and trust within the friend dyad (β= .26, -.19, and -.25,p<.05).
Worse teen-dad relationship quality predicted more depressive symptoms (β=.27,p<.05) and worse physical health later in life (higher IL-6, β= .26,p<.05; and CRP; β=.31,p<.05). Lower relationship quality between both teen-mom and teen-dad predicted higher levels of anxiety symptoms (β= .37,p<.05) and CRP (β=.29,p<.05,).
Alienation in the teen-best friend relationship predicted higher levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms (β= .26, and β= .26 p<.05). More alienation within the teens’ broader social circle predicted more depressive symptoms (β= .21,p<.05).
Higher negative affective arousal and poorer communication with mothers predicted higher anxiety (β=-.17, p<.05). Interestingly, individuals with higher negative affect arousal and quality teen-dad relationships predicted higher levels of inflammation (β=.39,p<.05). Unexpectedly, teens with negative affective arousal and high-quality relationships with their broader social circle displayed higher levels of IL-6 (β=.42,p<.05) CRP (β=.44,p<.05).
Finally, results indicated insecure preoccupied attachment predicted later negative affective arousal (β= .26,p<.05). Findings will be discussed in relation to the role social relationships play in mental and physical health and development.

Authors

• Christopher Michael Johnson, James Madison University
  Presenting Author

• Kristen N. Allen

• David E. Szwedo, James Madison University

• Joseph P Allen, University of Virginia - Charlottesville