Childhood attachment security mediates the effect of childhood maltreatment chronicity on emotion regulation patterns in emerging adulthood.

Abstract

This study uses a 2-wave, longitudinal design to evaluate mother-child attachment security (child-reported) and emotion regulation capacities (wave 1, age 10-12) as mediators linking childhood maltreatment chronicity and emotion regulation (ER) patterns in emerging adulthood (wave 2; N = 399; 48.1% male; 77.2% Black/African-American, 11.3% White, 7.8% Hispanic, 3.8% other race). Children from families eligible for public assistance with and without maltreatment exposure participated in a summer research camp (wave 1) and were recontacted in emerging adulthood (wave 2). SEM results showed that greater maltreatment chronicity predicted lower childhood attachment security, which in turn predicted membership in ER profiles marked by emotion dysregulation and limited access to ER strategies. Greater attachment security predicted membership in adaptive ER profiles in emerging adulthood. Results suggest that insecure attachment is one process by which childhood maltreatment disrupts adaptive ER across development, whereas greater attachment security in childhood can promote multiple forms of adaptive emotion regulation.