Abstract
Parental depression has been identified as a risk factor for children’s and adolescents’ internalizing problems. In the current
study, we aimed to investigate the role of maternal parenting behaviors (i.e., responsiveness and autonomy-support) and adolescents’
representations of attachment to their mother (i.e., anxiety and avoidance) in the intergenerational similarity of internalizing
symptoms. The sample was heterogeneous and consisted of referred (42%) and non-referred adolescents (N = 238, 31% female) and their mothers. Both adolescents and mothers reported on internalizing symptoms, parenting behaviors
and all adolescents reported on mother–child attachment. Results showed that parenting behaviors and mother-adolescent attachment
explain at least part of the intergenerational congruence of internalizing symptoms. Moreover, there were meaningful and specific
associations between dimensions of parenting and dimensions of attachment. Higher responsiveness was primarily related to
lower avoidance and higher autonomy-support was primarily related to lower anxiety. The current study’s results suggest that
maternal depressive symptoms relate to maladaptive parenting strategies and insecure attachment representations in adolescents.
Further, both attachment anxiety and avoidance seem to relate positively to adolescents’ internalizing symptoms. Targeting
both parenting and attachment may form a fruitful approach to prevent and treat internalizing problems in adolescence.
study, we aimed to investigate the role of maternal parenting behaviors (i.e., responsiveness and autonomy-support) and adolescents’
representations of attachment to their mother (i.e., anxiety and avoidance) in the intergenerational similarity of internalizing
symptoms. The sample was heterogeneous and consisted of referred (42%) and non-referred adolescents (N = 238, 31% female) and their mothers. Both adolescents and mothers reported on internalizing symptoms, parenting behaviors
and all adolescents reported on mother–child attachment. Results showed that parenting behaviors and mother-adolescent attachment
explain at least part of the intergenerational congruence of internalizing symptoms. Moreover, there were meaningful and specific
associations between dimensions of parenting and dimensions of attachment. Higher responsiveness was primarily related to
lower avoidance and higher autonomy-support was primarily related to lower anxiety. The current study’s results suggest that
maternal depressive symptoms relate to maladaptive parenting strategies and insecure attachment representations in adolescents.
Further, both attachment anxiety and avoidance seem to relate positively to adolescents’ internalizing symptoms. Targeting
both parenting and attachment may form a fruitful approach to prevent and treat internalizing problems in adolescence.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Empirical Research
- Pages 1-15
- DOI 10.1007/s10964-011-9740-9
- Authors
- Katrijn Brenning, Department of Developmental, Personality and Social Psychology, Ghent University, H. Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Bart Soenens, Department of Developmental, Personality and Social Psychology, Ghent University, H. Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Caroline Braet, Department of Developmental, Personality and Social Psychology, Ghent University, H. Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Sarah Bal, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Journal Journal of Youth and Adolescence
- Online ISSN 1573-6601
- Print ISSN 0047-2891