Figueiredo, Barbara, Bifulco, Antonia, Pacheco, Alexandra, Costa, Raquel and Magarinho, Rute (2006) Teenage pregnancy, attachment style, and depression: a comparison of teenage and adult pregnant women in a Portuguese series. Attachment and Human Development, 8 (2).
Full text access: Open
Abstract The aim of this Portuguese study is to compare the experience of pregnancy in teenage years and later adulthood and to examine insecure attachment style as a risk factor for depression during pregnancy. The Attachment Style Interview (ASI; Bifulco, Moran, Ball, & Bernazzani, 2002) and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS; Cox, Holden, & Sagovsky, 1987) were administered to 66 pregnant adolescents and 64 adult women. Pregnant teenagers were found to be nearly three times more likely to have an insecure attachment style of Enmeshed, Angry-Dismissive, or Fearful style than adults, all at high levels of impairment (54% vs.19%, p5.02). Logistic regression showed, when all risk factors were entered, highly Enmeshed style and poor partner support provided the best model for depression with age at pregnancy no longer adding. Insecure attachment style should be addressed in prevention and intervention strategies with teenage mothers.
This is a Published version This version's date is: 06/2006 This item is not peer reviewed
https://repository.royalholloway.ac.uk/items/607319bd-4150-6e9f-8696-b4595fd4eb80/1/
Deposited by () on 23-Dec-2009 in Royal Holloway Research Online.Last modified on 23-Dec-2009
References Allen, J. P., & Land, D. (1999). Attachment in adolescence. In J. Cassidy & P. R. Shaver (Eds.), Handbook of attachment: Theory, research, and clinical applications (pp. 319 â 335). New York: Guilford. American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Adolescence (1989). Adolescent pregnancy. Pediatrics, 83, 132 â 134. Apfel, N., & Seitz, V. (1996). African American adolescent mothers, their families, and their daughters: A longitudinal perspective over twelve years. New York: New York University Press. Areias, M. E. G., Kumar, R., Barros, H., & Figueiredo, E. (1996a). Correlates of postnatal depression in mothers and fathers. British Journal of Psychiatry, 169, 36 â 41. Areias, M. E. G., Kumar, R., Barros, H., & Figueiredo, E. (1996b). Comparative incidence of depression in women and men, during pregnancy and after childbirth. Validation of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale in Portuguese mothers. British Journal of Psychiatry, 169, 30 â 35. Augusto, A., Kumar, R., Calheiros, J. M., Matos, E., & Figueiredo, E. (1996). Post-natal depression in an urban area of Portugal: Comparison of childbearing women and matched controls. Psychological Medicine, 26, 135 â 141. Baranowski, M. D., Schilmoeller, G. L., & Higgins, B. S. (1990). Parenting attitudes of adolescent and older mothers. Adolescence, XXV, 781 â 790. Barnard, K., Osofsky, J., Beckwith, L., Hammond, M., & Appelbaum, M. (1996). A collaborative effort to study mother â child interaction in three risk groups: Social risk mother, adolescent mother, preterm infant. Infant Mental Health Journal, 17, 293 â 301. Belsky, J., Rovine, M., & Fish, M. (1989). The developing family system. In M. R. Gunnar & E. Thelen (Eds.), Minnesota symposia on child psychology (Vol. 22), Systems and Development (Chap. 4, pp. 119 â 166). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Benoit, D., Zeanah, C., & Barton, M. (1989). Maternal attachment in failure to thrive. Mental Health Journal, 10, 185 â 202. Bernazzani, O., Conroy, S., Marks, M., Siddle, K., Guedeney, N., Bifulco, A., et al. (2004). Contextual Assessment of the Maternity Experience (CAME): Development of an instrument for cross-cultural research. British Journal of Psychiatry, 184, 20 â 32. Besser, A., Priel, B., & Wiznitzer, A. (2002). Childbearing depressive symptomatology in high-risk pregnancies: The roles of working models and social support. Personal Relationships, 9, 395 â 413. Bifulco, A., Brown, G. W., & Harris, T. O. (1994). Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse (CECA): A retrospective interview measure. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 35, 1419 â 1435. Bifulco, A., Brown, G. W., Lillie, A., & Jarvis, J. (1997). Memories of childhood neglect and abuse: Corroboration in a series of sisters. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 38, 365 â 374. Teenage pregnancy 133 Bifulco, A., Figueiredo, B., Guedeney, N., Gorman, L., Hayes, S., Muzik, M., et al. (2004). Maternal attachment style and depression associated with childbirth: Preliminary results from a European and US cross-cultural study of postnatal depression. British Journal of Psychiatry, 184, 33 â 40. Bifulco, A., Kwon, J.-H., Moran, P., Jacobs, C., & Bunn, A. (submitted). Adult attachment style as a mediation of childhood neglect/abuse and adult depression and anxiety. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. Bifulco, A., & Moran, P. (1998). Wednesdayâs child: Research in to womenâs experience of neglect and abuse in childhood and adult depression. London: Routledge. Bifulco, A., Moran, P. M., Ball, C., & Bernazzani, O. (2002a). Adult attachment style I: Its relationship to clinical depression. Social Psychiatry & Psychiatric Epidemiology, 37, 50 â 59. Bifulco, A., Moran, P. M., Ball, C., & Lillie, A. (2002b). Adult attachment style II: Its relationship to psychosocial depressive-vulnerability. Social Psychiatry & Psychiatric Epidemiology, 37, 60 â 67. Bowlby, J. (1988). A secure base: Clinical applications of attachment theory. London: Routledge. Brown, G. W., Andrews, B., Harris, T. O., Adler, Z., & Bridge, L. (1986). Social support, self-esteem and depression. Psychological Medicine, 16, 813 â 831. Brown, G. W., Bifulco, A. T., & Andrews, B. (1990). Self-esteem and depression III: Aetiological issues. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 25, 235 â 243. Brown, G. W., & Harris, T. O. (1978). Social origins of depression. London: Tavistock. Brown, G. W., & Rutter, M. (1966). The measurement of family activities and relationships: A methodological study. Human Relations, 19, 241 â 263. Brown, J., Cohen, P., Johnson, J. G., & Salzinger, S. (1998). A longitudinal analysis of risk factors for child maltreatment: Findings of a 17-year prospective study of officially recorded and self-reported child abuse and neglect. Child Abuse & Neglect, 22, 1065 â 1078. Cole-Detke, H., & Kobak, R. (1996). Attachment processes in eating disorder and depression. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64, 282 â 290. Coley, R., & Chase-Lansdale, L. (1998). Adolescent pregnancy and parenthood: Recent evidences and future directions. American Psychologist, 53, 152 â 166. Contreras, J. M.,Mangelsdorf, S. C., Rhodes, J. E., Diener, M. L., & Brunson, L. (1999). Parent â child interaction among Latina adolescent mothers: The role of family and social support. Journal of Research in Adolescence, 9, 417 â 439. Cox, J. L., Holden, J. M., & Sagovsky, R. (1987). Detection of postnatal depression: Development of the 10-item Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. British Journal of Psychiatry, 150, 782 â 786. Da Costa, D., Larouche, J., Dritsa, M., & Brender, W. (2000). Psychosocial correlates of prepartum and postpartum depressed mood. Journal of Affective Disorders, 59, 31 â 40. Davis, A., & Rhodes, J. (1994). African-American teenage mothers and their mothers: An analysis of supportive and problematic interactions. Journal of Community Psychology, 22, 12 â 20. Deal, L. W., & Holtz, V. L. (1998). Young maternal age and depressive symptoms: Results from the 1988 national maternal and infant health survey. American Journal of Public Health, 88, 266 â 270. Eberhard-Gran, M., Tambs, K., Opjordsmoen, S., Skrondal, A., & Eskild, A. (2004). Depression during pregnancy and after delivery: A repeated measurement study. Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 25, 15 â 21. Ellis, B. J., Bates, J. E., Dodge, K. A., Fergusson, D. M., Horwood, L. J., Pettit, G. S., et al. (2003). Does father absence place daughters at special risk for early sexual activity and teenage pregnancy? Child Development, 74, 801 â 821. European Commission (2000). Report on the state of young peopleâs health in the European Union. European Commission web site: http://europa.eu.int/comm/health Eurostat (2000). Statistical Office of the European Communities. Retrieved October 20, 2001, from www. europa.eu.int/comm./eurostat Feeney, J. (2003). Adult attachment, involvement in infant care, and adjustment to new parenthood. Journal of Systemic Therapies, 22, 16 â 30. Feeney, J., Alexander, R., Noller, P., & Hohaus, L. (2003). Attachment insecurity, depression, and the transition to parenthood. Personal Relationships, 10, 475 â 493. Feeney, J. A., Noller, P., & Callan, V. J. (1994). Attachment style, communication and satisfaction in the early years of marriage. Advances in Personal Relationships, 5, 269 â 308. Figueiredo, B. (1997). Postpartum depression, mother â infant interaction and child development. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Minho University, Braga. Figueiredo, B. (2001). I am a teenage mother. In Mental health promotion of adolescents and young people (p. 69). Mental Health Europe and European Commission (Eds.), Brussels: Directory of Projects in Europe. 134 B. Figueiredo et al. Figueiredo, B., Pacheco, A., & Magarinho, R. (2005). Adolescent and adult pregnant women: Different risk conditions? Acta Me´dica Portuguesa, 18, 97 â 105. Fleming, A. S., Ruble, D. N., Flett, G. L., & Van Wagner, V. (1990). Postpartum adjustment in first-time mothers: Changes in mood and mood content during the early postpartum months. Developmental Psychology, 26, 137 â 143. Gee, C. B., & Rhodes, J. E. (2003). Adolescent mothersâ relationships with their childrenâs biological fathers: Social support, social strain, and relationship continuity. Journal of Family Psychology, 17, 370 â 383. Glazier, R. H., Elgar, F. J., Goel, V., & Holzapfel, S. (2004). Stress, social support, and emotional distress in a community sample of pregnant women. Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 25, 247 â 255. Hann, D., Osofsky, J., & Culp, A. (1996). Relating the adolescent mother â child relationship to preschool outcomes. Infant Mental Health Journal, 17, 302 â 309. Hess, C. R., Papas, M. A., & Black, M. M. (2002). Resilience among African American adolescent mothers: Predictors of positive parenting in early infancy. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 27, 619 â 629. Hudson, D. B., Elek, S. M., & Campbell-Grossman, C. (2000). Depression, self-esteem, loneliness, and social support among adolescent mothers participating in the new parents project. Adolescence, 35, 445 â 453. Koback, R., & Hazan, C. (1991). Attachment in marriage: Effects of security and accuracy of working models. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60, 861 â 869. Krishnakumar, A., & Black, M. M. (2003). Family processes within three generation households and adolescent mothersâ satisfaction with father involvement. Journal of Family Psychology, 17, 488 â 498. Leadbeater, B. J. R., & Linares, O. (1992). Depressive symptoms and neglect and Puerto Rican adolescent mothers in the first three years postpartum. Development and Psychopathology, 4, 451 â 468. Levine, L. V., Tuber, S. B., Slade, A., & Ward, M. J. (1991). Mothersâ mental representations and their relationships to mother â infant attachment. Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic, 55, 454 â 469. Matos, R., Figueiredo, B., Martins, C., Jongenelen, I., Igle´sias, C., & Soares, I. (2000, July). Teenage motherhood: History of abuse, attachment representation and mother â infant interaction. Poster presented at the 7th Congress of the World Association for Infant Mental Health, Montre´al, Canada. Michelson, K. D., Kessler, R. C., & Shaver, P. R. (1997). Adult attachment in a nationally representative sample. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73, 1092 â 1106. Osborne, L. N., & Rhodes, J. E. (2001). The role of social support in the adjustment of victimized pregnant and parenting minority adolescents. American Journal of Community Psychology, 29, 833 â 849. Osofsky, J. D., Eberhart-Wright, A., Ware, L., & Hann, D. (1992). Children of adolescent mothers: A group at risk for psychopathology. Infant Mental Health Journal, 13, 49 â 56. Pacheco, A., Costa, R., & Figueiredo, B. (2003). Attachment style, quality of the relationship with significant figures and of the therapeutic alliance, and psychopathological symptomatology: Exploratory study with adolescent mothers. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 3, 35 â 59. Parker, B., McFarlane, J., & Soeken, K. (1994). Abuse during pregnancy: Effects on maternal complications and birth weight in adult and teenage women. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 84, 323 â 328. Patrick, M., Hobson, R. P., Castle, D., Howard, R., & Maughan, B. (1994). Personality disorder and the mental representation of early social experience. Developmental Psychopathology, 6, 375 â 388. Piccinini, C. A., Rapoport, A., Centenaro-Levandowski, D., & Royer-Voigt, P. (2002). Social support perceived by adolescent and adult mothers: From pregnancy to the infantâs third month of life. PSICO, 33, 9 â 36. Priel, B., & Besser, A. (2002). Perceptions of early relationships during the transition to motherhood: The mediating role of social support. Infant Mental Health Journal, 23, 343 â 360. Prodromidis, M., Abrams, S., Field, T., Scafidi, F., & Rahdert, E. (1994). Psychosocial stressors among depressed adolescent mothers. Adolescence, 29, 331 â 343. Radestad, I., Rubertsson, C., Ebeling, M., & Hildingsson, I. (2004). What factors in early pregnancy indicate the mother will be hit by her partner during the year after childbirth? Birth, 31, 84 â 92. Rhodes, J. E., Ebert, L., & Meyers, A. B. (1994). Social support, relationship problems and the psychological functioning of young African-American mothers. Journal of Social & Personal Relationships, 11, 587 â 599. Rholes, W. S., & Simpson, J. A. (2004). Ambivalent attachment and depressive symptoms: The role of romantic and parent â child relationships. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 18, 67 â 78. Rholes, W. S., Simpson, J. A., Campbell, L., & Grich, J. (2001). Adult attachment and the transition to parenthood. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 81, 421 â 435. Ritter, C., Hobfoll, S., Lavin, J., Cameron, R., & Hulsizer, M. (2000). Stress, psychosocial resources, and depressive symptomatology during pregnancy in low-income, inner-city women. Health Psychology, 19, 576 â 585. Roberts, R., OâConnor, T., Dunn, J., Golding, J., the ALSPAC Study Team. (2004). The effects of child sexual abuse in later family life: Mental health, parenting and adjustment of offspring. Child Abuse & Neglect, 28, 525 â 545. Teenage pregnancy 135 Rubertsson, C., Waldenstroem, U., & Wickberg, B. (2003). Depressive mood in early pregnancy: Prevalence and women at risk in a national Swedish sample. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 21, 113 â 123. Schilmoeller, G. L., Baranowski, M. D., & Higgins, B. S. (1991). Long-term support and personal adjustment of adolescent and older mothers. Adolescence, 26, 787 â 797. Simpson, J., Rholes, W., Campbell, L., Tran, S., & Wilson, C. (2003). Adult attachment, the transition to parenthood, and depressive symptoms. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 84, 1172 â 1187. Simpson, J. A., Rholes, W. S., Campbell, L., Wilson, C., & Tran, S. (2002). Adult attachment, the transition to parenthood, and marital well-being. In P. Noller & J. Feeney (Eds.), Understanding marriage: Developments in the study of couple interaction (pp. 385 â 410). New York: Cambridge University Press. Social Exclusion Unit UK (1999). Teenage Pregnancy Report by the Social Exclusion Unit. London: HMSO. Spieker, S. J., & Bensley, L. (1994). Roles of living arrangements and grandmother social support in adolescent mothering and infant attachment. Development Psychology, 30, 102 â 111. Stevens-Simon, C., & McAnarney, E. (1996). Adolescent pregnancy. In W. H. R. DiClemente & L. Ponton (Ed.), Handbook of adolescent health risk behavior (pp. 313 â 332). New York: Plenum Press. Tarabulsy, G., Bernier, A., Provost, M., Maranda, J., Larose, S., Moss, E., et al. (2005). Another look inside the gap: Ecological contributions to the transmission of attachment in a sample of adolescent mother â infant dyads. Developmental Psychology, 41, 212 â 224. Troutman, B., & Cutrona, C. (1990). Nonpsychotic postpartum depression among adolescent mothers. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 99, 69 â 78. Unger, D. G., & Cooley, R. N. (1992). Partner and grandmother contact in black and white teen parent families. Journal of Adolescent Health, 13, 546 â 552. Vikat, A., Rimpela, A., Kosunen, E., & Rimpela, M. (2002). Socio-demographic differences in the occurrence of teenage pregnancies in Finland in 1987 â 1998: A follow up study. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 56, 659 â 668. Ward, M. J., & Carlson, E. A. (1995). Associations among adult attachment representations, maternal sensitivity, and infant âmother attachment in a sample of adolescent mothers. Child Development, 66, 69 â 79. Wasserman, G. A., Brunelli, S. A., & Rauh, V. A. (1990). Social supports and living arrangements of adolescent and adult mothers. Journal of Adolescent Research, 5, 54 â 66. Wasserman, G., Rauth, V., Brunelli, S., Garcia-Castro, M., & Necos, B. (1990). Psychosocial attributes and life experiences of disadvantage minority mothers: Age and ethnic variations. Child Development, 61, 566 â 580. Zuravin, S., & DiBlasio, F. (1996). The correlates of child physical abuse and neglect by adolescent mothers. Journal of Family Violence, 3, 149 â 166.