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The Effects of Perceived Childhood Attachment Anxiety and Avoidance on Depression in Emerging Adulthood: Depressive Experience Style as a Mediator

Abstract

Although insecure attachment has been recognized as a major risk factor for depression, its mechanisms predicting depression in the emerging adulthood has been relatively unexplored. Therefore, this study examined the effects of the dimensions of perceived childhood attachement(i.e., attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance) on the levels of depression in a sample of college students, focusing on the role of depressive experience style as a mediator. A total of 200 participants(74 males, 126 females) completed self-report questionnaires assessing attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, dependency, self-criticism, and depression. Results of path analysis indicated that attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance positively predicted depression, and these associations were fully mediated by the self-criticism factor of depressive experience style. Conversely, the dependency factor of depressive experience style did not significantly mediate the relationship between the dimensions of attachment and depression. This study empirically investigated the mechanisms by which perceived childhood attachment may contribute to the development of depression in the emerging adulthood through the depressive experience style. Our findings also offer practical implications in terms of providing promising targets for preventive interventions and treatments for depression.

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Submission Date
2021-01-09
Revised Date
2021-02-25
Accepted Date
2021-03-02

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