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Predictions of adolescents’ responses to the Youth Self-Report from parental attachment interviews collected during pregnancy: a 17-year longitudinal study

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Predictions of adolescents’ responses to the Youth Self-Report from parental attachment interviews collected during pregnancy: a 17-year longitudinal study
Authors: Perez, Alejandra, Steele, Miriam, Fonagy, Peter, Fearon, Pasco, Segal, Francesca, Steele, Howard
Contributors: Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository
Source: Attachment & Human Development. 27:315-329
Publisher Information: Informa UK Limited, 2025.
Publication Year: 2025
Subject Terms: Male, Adult, Adolescent, Adult attachment interview, fathers, Object Attachment, Interviews as Topic, mothers, Pregnancy, Humans, adolescence, Female, pregnancy, Longitudinal Studies, Self Report, Parent-Child Relations, mental health
Description: This study investigated the influence of parents' Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) responses prior to the birth of a first child, on self-reported mental health symptoms of the first-born child in mid-adolescence. The sample comprised 51 first-born children aged 16 years, their mothers and fathers from a low-risk community urban sample, White, British and 70% middle class. Mothers' responses to the AAI were the strongest predictor of their adolescent children's self-reported mental health symptoms. Children's infant-mother or infant-father attachment patterns were not predictive of these 16-year outcomes, but mothers' insecure (primarily dismissing) attachment representations predicted children's externalizing, aggressive, and delinquent difficulties (though not internalizing difficulties) at 16 years. If one or both parents were autonomous-secure in their response to the AAI then their adolescent children reported significantly fewer mental health problems. Discussion focuses on thepredictive validity of the Adult Attachment Interview, Mary Main's legacy, and possible meanings (and limitations) of the results.
Document Type: Article
File Description: application/pdf
Language: English
ISSN: 1469-2988
1461-6734
DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2024.2448916
DOI: 10.17863/cam.121020
Access URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39817698
Rights: CC BY
Accession Number: edsair.doi.dedup.....c1a3c3fde6866f97f37cc6d5c1d34acc
Database: OpenAIRE
Description
Abstract:This study investigated the influence of parents' Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) responses prior to the birth of a first child, on self-reported mental health symptoms of the first-born child in mid-adolescence. The sample comprised 51 first-born children aged 16 years, their mothers and fathers from a low-risk community urban sample, White, British and 70% middle class. Mothers' responses to the AAI were the strongest predictor of their adolescent children's self-reported mental health symptoms. Children's infant-mother or infant-father attachment patterns were not predictive of these 16-year outcomes, but mothers' insecure (primarily dismissing) attachment representations predicted children's externalizing, aggressive, and delinquent difficulties (though not internalizing difficulties) at 16 years. If one or both parents were autonomous-secure in their response to the AAI then their adolescent children reported significantly fewer mental health problems. Discussion focuses on thepredictive validity of the Adult Attachment Interview, Mary Main's legacy, and possible meanings (and limitations) of the results.
ISSN:14692988
14616734
DOI:10.1080/14616734.2024.2448916