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Attachment insecurity moderates the link between maternal childhood neglect and postpartum bonding to the infant

Megan M Julian1, Nicola K Bernard2, Jonathan E Handelzalts3,4

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, 4250 Plymouth Rd, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. mmjulian@med.umich.edu.

Archives of Women'S Mental Health
|July 28, 2021
PubMed

Mothers who experienced childhood neglect are at increased risk of parenting difficulties in adulthood, but adult attachment relationships may be protective. Eighty-eight postpartum women seeking outpatient psychiatric care completed self-report measures on adverse childhood experiences, adult attachment, mental health symptoms, and bonding. Beyond the effects of maternal mental health on bonding, childhood neglect predicted bonding difficulties only in mothers with more insecure attachments, suggesting adult attachment as a potential point of intervention to reduce the intergenerational transmission of risk.

Keywords:
Adverse childhood experiencesAttachmentNeglectParent-infant dyads

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