Journal Article

The Significance of Insecure and Disorganized Attachment for Children's Internalizing Symptoms: A Meta-Analytic Study

Fearon, R. Pasco, Groh, Ashley M., Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian J., van IJzendoorn, Marinus H., Roisman, Glenn I.

2012

Overview

This meta-analytic review examines the association between attachment and internalizing symptomatology during childhood, and compares the strength of this association with that for externalizing symptomatology. Based on 42 independent samples (N = 4,614), the association between insecurity and internalizing symptoms was small, yet significant (d = 0.15, CI 0.06~0.25) and not moderated by assessment age of internalizing problems. Avoidance, but not resistance (d = 0.03, CI - 0.11~0.17) or disorganization (d = 0.08, CI - 0.06~0.22), was significantly associated with internalizing symptoms (d = 0.17, CI 0.03~0.31). Insecurity and disorganization were more strongly associated with externalizing than internalizing symptoms. Discussion focuses on the significance of attachment for the development of internalizing versus externalizing symptomatology.

• Publisher: Blackwell Publishing Ltd,Wiley-Blackwell
• Subject: Adaptation, Psychological / Age / Age Factors / Anxiety disorders / Anxiety Disorders - diagnosis / Anxiety Disorders - psychology / Attachment / Attachment Behavior / Behavior Problems / Behavioural psychology / Biological and medical sciences / Child / Child Behavior Disorders - diagnosis / Child Behavior Disorders - psychology / Child development / Child psychopathology / Child, Preschool / Childhood / Children / Children & youth / Correlation / Correlation analysis / Defense Mechanisms / Depressive Disorder - diagnosis / Depressive Disorder - psychology / Depressive disorders / Developmental psychology / Emotions / EMPIRICAL ARTICLES / Externalizing behaviour / Female / Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology / Humans / Insecurity / Internal-External Control / Internalization / Internalizing behaviour / Internalizing problems / Internalizing symptoms / Low socioeconomic status / Male / Meta Analysis / Personal relationships / Personality Assessment / Personality Disorders - diagnosis / Personality Disorders - psychology / Preschool education / Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry / Psychology. Psychophysiology / Reactive Attachment Disorder - diagnosis / Reactive Attachment Disorder - psychology / Resistance / Security / Security (Psychology) / Social Behavior Disorders - diagnosis / Social Behavior Disorders - psychology / Somatoform Disorders - diagnosis / Somatoform Disorders - psychology / Statistics as Topic / Symptoms / Symptoms (Individual Disorders)