Ghosts from the Nursery: Attachment, Adverse Childhood Experiences, and Maternal Mental Health.

IF 2.2 Q2 FAMILY STUDIES

Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma Pub Date : 2026-01-09 eCollection Date: 2026-06-01 DOI:10.1007/s40653-025-00803-0

Maria Balaceanu, Amanda Ramos, Mattison Hillin, Ives Hong, Dannelle Larsen-Rife

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background: Children's attachment is shaped by their mother's mental health and their early life experiences. Motherhood evokes vulnerability, anxiety, anger, and helplessness. Poor maternal mental health may impede mothers from responding to their children's needs.

Objective: The study aimed to examine the influence of maternal mental health and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on adult attachment anxiety and avoidance.

Participants and setting: Adult participants (n = 317) were recruited through a small university in the southwest United States via social media, class announcements, and word of mouth on campus and in the surrounding community.

Methods: Participants completed online survey questions assessing their perceptions of their mothers' mental health during childhood, ACEs, and adult attachment anxiety and avoidance. Hierarchical regressions were employed to evaluate the effects of ACEs and maternal mental health on predicting attachment anxiety and avoidance.

Results: The presence of ACEs showed a significant positive association with attachment anxiety and avoidance. Furthermore, the findings indicated poor maternal mental health during childhood was linked to higher levels of anxiety and avoidance in adulthood, over and above the presence of ACEs alone.

Conclusions: Maternal mental health combined with ACEs is a stronger predictor of insecure adult attachment than ACEs alone. These results underscore the importance of addressing maternal mental health in interventions aimed at promoting secure attachment in children. Early identification and support for mothers experiencing mental health challenges may mitigate the risk of insecure attachment in their children, thereby promoting healthy child development, with benefits that continue into adulthood.

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来自托儿所的幽灵：依恋、不良童年经历和母亲心理健康。

背景：儿童的依恋是由母亲的心理健康和他们的早期生活经历所塑造的。母性唤起脆弱、焦虑、愤怒和无助。产妇心理健康状况不佳可能妨碍母亲对子女的需求作出反应。目的：探讨母亲心理健康状况和童年不良经历对成人依恋焦虑和回避的影响。参与者和环境：成年参与者（n = 317）是通过社交媒体、班级公告、校园和周围社区的口口相传在美国西南部的一所小型大学招募的。方法：参与者完成在线调查问题，评估他们对母亲童年时期心理健康、ace和成年依恋焦虑和回避的看法。采用层次回归法评估ace和母亲心理健康对预测依恋焦虑和回避的影响。结果：ace的存在与依恋焦虑和回避有显著正相关。此外，研究结果表明，母亲在童年时期的心理健康状况不佳，与成年后较高的焦虑和回避水平有关，而不仅仅是ace的存在。结论：母亲心理健康与不良经历相结合比单独不良经历更能预测不安全成人依恋。这些结果强调了在旨在促进儿童安全依恋的干预措施中解决产妇心理健康问题的重要性。早期发现和支持经历心理健康挑战的母亲，可以减轻其子女不安全依恋的风险，从而促进儿童健康发展，其益处将持续到成年。

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来源期刊

Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma Multiple-

CiteScore

3.00

自引率

6.70%

发文量

期刊介绍： Underpinned by a biopsychosocial approach, the Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma presents original research and prevention and treatment strategies for understanding and dealing with symptoms and disorders related to the psychological effects of trauma experienced by children and adolescents during childhood and where the impact of these experiences continues into adulthood. The journal also examines intervention models directed toward the individual, family, and community, new theoretical models and approaches, and public policy proposals and innovations. In addition, the journal promotes rigorous investigation and debate on the human capacity for agency, resilience and longer-term healing in the face of child and adolescent trauma. With a multidisciplinary approach that draws input from the psychological, medical, social work, sociological, public health, legal and education fields, the journal features research, intervention approaches and evidence-based programs, theoretical articles, specific review articles, brief reports and case studies, and commentaries on current and/or controversial topics. The journal also encourages submissions from less heard voices, for example in terms of geography, minority status or service user perspectives. Among the topics examined in the Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma: The effects of childhood maltreatment Loss, natural disasters, and political conflict Exposure to or victimization from family or community violence Racial, ethnic, gender, sexual orientation or class discrimination Physical injury, diseases, and painful or debilitating medical treatments The impact of poverty, social deprivation and inequality Barriers and facilitators on pathways to recovery The Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma is an important resource for practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and academics whose work is centered on children exposed to traumatic events and adults exposed to traumatic events as children.