The influence of attachment style on support and feedback seeking and depression severity among mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic

IF 3.8 3区心理学 Q1 PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL

British Journal of Clinical Psychology Pub Date : 2024-02-29 DOI:10.1111/bjc.12458

Caroline Capute, Leanne Quigley, Jordan Bate

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objectives

The ways that people seek support during times of stress influence their mental health outcomes, including depression. Insecure attachment is a risk factor for depression and may also interfere with adaptive support and feedback-seeking behaviour during stress. The purpose of the present study was to test theorized associations between insecure attachment, support and feedback seeking, and changes in depression symptoms over 1 year, in a sample of mothers of school-age children in the context of stress elicited by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

Participants (N = 70 mothers) completed self-report measures of anxious and avoidant attachment and depression severity at baseline in spring 2020 and then completed measures of past-year engagement in direct and indirect support seeking and excessive reassurance seeking (ERS), preference for negative feedback, and depression severity at a follow-up assessment in summer 2021.

Results

Greater attachment anxiety at baseline predicted more frequent direct support seeking, indirect support seeking, and ERS during the 1-year follow-up period. In turn, greater indirect support seeking predicted greater increases in depression from baseline to follow-up. Greater attachment avoidance at baseline predicted less direct support seeking during the 1-year follow-up period. Greater attachment avoidance at baseline also predicted depression severity at follow-up, particularly among mothers with moderate to high levels of attachment anxiety, although none of the examined support and feedback-seeking behaviours mediated this association.

Conclusions

These results provide support for the role of activated attachment systems in determining support and feedback-seeking behaviour during stress, as well as the role of support and feedback-seeking behaviour in the maintenance and exacerbation of depression.

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在 COVID-19 大流行期间，依恋风格对母亲寻求支持和反馈以及抑郁严重程度的影响。

目标：人们在压力时期寻求支持的方式会影响其心理健康结果，包括抑郁症。不安全依恋是抑郁症的一个风险因素，也可能会干扰压力期间的适应性支持和反馈寻求行为。本研究的目的是以学龄儿童的母亲为样本，在 COVID-19 大流行病引发的压力背景下，检验不安全依恋、支持和反馈寻求与抑郁症状一年内的变化之间的理论关联：参与者（N = 70 位母亲）在 2020 年春季的基线调查中完成了关于焦虑型和回避型依恋以及抑郁严重程度的自我报告测量，然后在 2021 年夏季的后续评估中完成了关于过去一年中直接和间接寻求支持、过度寻求安慰（ERS）、偏好负面反馈以及抑郁严重程度的测量：结果：基线时更大的依恋焦虑预示着在一年的随访期间更频繁地寻求直接支持、间接支持和过度安抚。反过来，更多的间接寻求支持也预示着从基线到随访期间抑郁程度的增加。基线时依恋回避程度越高，预示着在一年随访期间寻求直接支持的次数越少。基线时更大的依恋回避也预示着随访时抑郁的严重程度，尤其是在具有中度到高度依恋焦虑的母亲中，尽管所研究的支持和反馈寻求行为中没有一项能调节这种关联：这些结果支持了激活的依恋系统在压力期间决定支持和寻求反馈行为的作用，以及支持和寻求反馈行为在抑郁症的维持和恶化中的作用。

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来源期刊

British Journal of Clinical Psychology PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL-

CiteScore

5.80

自引率

3.20%

发文量

期刊介绍： The British Journal of Clinical Psychology publishes original research, both empirical and theoretical, on all aspects of clinical psychology: - clinical and abnormal psychology featuring descriptive or experimental studies - aetiology, assessment and treatment of the whole range of psychological disorders irrespective of age group and setting - biological influences on individual behaviour - studies of psychological interventions and treatment on individuals, dyads, families and groups