Attachment in mothers with anxiety disorders and their children

Abstract

Objective: This study examined adult attachment in mothers diagnosed with anxiety disorders and child-mother attachment in their children.

Method: Eighteen mothers with Axis I anxiety disorders completed the Adult Attachment Interview and standardized questionnaires. These mothers and their preschool children (n = 20) then participated in the Strange Situation Procedure.

Results: All mothers were classified as nonautonomous with respect to attachment, with 78% judged unresolved. When those judged unresolved were reassigned to their alternate categories, the proportion of nonautonomous mothers was 61%. Eighty percent of the children were classified as insecurely attached, with 65% judged disorganized. When those judged disorganized were reassigned to their alternate categories, the proportion of insecurely attached children was 55%. Sixty-five percent of the children matched their mother's attachment classification. Mothers of securely attached children reported fewer recent life events, fewer depressive symptoms, and a greater sense of parenting competence than mothers of insecurely attached children.

Conclusions: These results suggest that attachment measures can be applied to anxious populations. The high rate of insecurity among offspring of anxious mothers indicates a need for longitudinal studies of these children.