Investigation of associations between attachment, parenting and schizotypy during the postnatal period

Abstract

Background: Parenting can be a stressful experience particularly for people with mental health problems or people who experienced abuse or attachment difficulties in their own childhoods. This study examined the relationships between earlier trauma, attachment, parenting and schizotypy in a non-clinical sample, with the specific hypothesis that parenting stress and competence would mediate any association between trauma, attachment and schizotypy.

Methods: One hundred and thirty-four first time parents with a child under 12 months old completed the following questionnaires online: the Experiences of Close Relationships Scale - Short Form (ECR-S), the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire - Brief, Revised (SPQ-BR) the Parenting Stress Scale, the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale (PSOC) and the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Questionnaire.

Results: Parenting stress mediated the association between attachment and schizotypy, though parenting competence did not have a significant effect as a mediator in a parallel model. Childhood trauma was associated with attachment and schizotypy but did not correlate with the parenting variables.

Limitations: The study utilised a cross-sectional design and self-report measures which limits the ability to make causal inferences from the results. However, findings warrant replication in clinical samples with psychosis.

Conclusions: The study adds to the understanding of what may exacerbate schizotypal symptoms in the first 12 months postpartum as parental attachment insecurity and parental stress together predicted elevated self-reported experiences of schizotypal symptoms.

Keywords: Attachment; Parenting; Parenting stress; Schizotypy.