Changes in Trajectories of Attachment Avoidance and Anxiety over the Transition to Parenthood

• In Event: Poster Session 07
  In Poster Session: PS 07 Topic - Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Abstract

The transition to parenthood brings social, emotional, biological, and relational changes for mothers. One such pattern of change may occur in the attachment system, which in adults reflects individuals’ comfort with close relationships (Bowlby, 1980). Attachment in adults is assessed via dimensions of avoidance (degree to which adults downplay or dismiss the importance of close relationships) and anxiety (degree to which adults express elevated concern or worry about their close relationships; Shaver & Mikulincer, 2002). Recently, Stern and colleagues (2018) examined trajectories of attachment avoidance and anxiety in economically-stressed new mothers from birth through when infants were two years old. They found no average change in avoidance and anxiety; instead, trajectories were predicted by factors related to mental health, relationship quality with one’s mother, social supports, and partner’s parenting quality. Stern et al. called for future research to replicate and extend these findings in other samples, to include prenatal assessments to capture the transition to parenthood, and to examine in a sample of infants that were not selected for higher levels of irritability. In the current study, we address these three key points of replication and extension.

Participants included 259 first time mother-infant dyads. Mothers first participated 6-8 weeks from their due date and again when infants were 6-months, 14-months, and 26-months old. At each visit, mothers completed a battery of questionnaires assessing attachment avoidance and anxiety (ECR; Brennan et al., 1998), demographics, depression (CES-D; Radloff, 1977), perceived parenting from ones’ mother (CCNES; Fabes et al., 1996), social support (SSQ; Sarason et al., 1987), support from partner (Leerkes & Crockenberg, 2002), observationally coded infant distress (Braungart & Stifter, 1996), and mother-report of infant negative emotionality (IBQ-RVSF; Putnam et al., 2014).

Analyses conducted were identical to Stern et al., and results are presented in Table 1 for avoidance and Table 2 for anxiety. Unconditional growth models are presented at the top of the tables and models with predictors of intercepts and growth are presented at the bottom of the tables. Predictors of avoidance intercept were similar to those in Stern et al.; more social supports, supportive remembered parenting, and fewer depressive symptoms were associated with less avoidance. Unlike Stern et al., we found significant predictors of avoidance slope (i.e., social support and observed infant distress). Predictors of anxiety intercept were similar to those in Stern et al.; more social support, higher relationship satisfaction, and fewer depressive symptoms were associated with less anxiety. None of the predictors were associated with anxiety slope.

There were differences between our results and Stern et al.’s, suggesting that other unique processes may contribute to trajectories of avoidance and anxiety over the transition to parenthood. Additionally, we had varying results for predicting attachment avoidance and anxiety. For example, infant distress (observed) was only associated with attachment avoidance, and infant negative emotionality (mother-reported) was only associated with attachment anxiety. We also found that social support only predicted changes in avoidance slope. These results suggest promoting supports in new mothers’ lives serves as protections for attachment avoidance and anxiety.

Authors

• Lauren Bailes, Vanderbilt University
  Presenting Author

• Mairin Augustine, Case Western Reserve University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Savannah A. Girod, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
  Non-Presenting Author

• Esther M. Leerkes, UNC Greensboro
  Non-Presenting Author