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Young adults’ recollections of parental bonds

Does satisfaction with partner relationships mediate the longitudinal association with mental disorders?

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Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract.

Background:

Recollections of cold and overprotective behaviors from parents have been hypothesized to lead to the presence of mental disorders in young adulthood through their detrimental effects on individuals’ satisfaction in later partner relationships. Previous studies have not explicitly tested, however, whether partner relationship satisfaction mediates the longitudinal relationship from parental bonds to DSMIII-R disorders in young adults.

Methods:

We examined: (1) whether recollections of parental bonds in the first 16 years of life were related to the prevalence of DSMIII-R mental disorders in young adulthood, and (2) whether young adults’ satisfaction with current partner relationships mediated these links. Data were used from 1,581 Dutch young adults aged 18–34 years, who were interviewed in three waves (1996, 1997, and 1999) of a nationwide epidemiological study

Results:

Structural Equation Models demonstrated that recollections of caring, non-intrusive parenting behaviors were significantly, negatively associated with the prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders (but not substance disorders) in young adulthood. The satisfaction with current partner relationships did not mediate these negative associations.

Conclusion:

Results replicate and extend earlier findings from the National Comorbidity Survey (Enns et al. 2002), demonstrating that mental disorders are directly related to people’s recollections of parental care and overprotection. Low-quality parental bonds were only related to internalizing types of psychopathology, however, and were of a modest strength. Results may indicate that there is relatively little cross-relationship continuity in the experience of intimacy between relationships with parents and with partners.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Family & Child Care Studies, Nijmegen University, 9104, 6500, HE Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    Geertjan Overbeek & Rutger C. M. E. Engels

  2. Dept. of Clinical Epidemiology, Trimbos Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Wilma Vollebergh & Ron de Graaf

  3. Dept. of Child & Adolescent Studies, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Wim Meeus

Authors
  1. Geertjan Overbeek
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  2. Wilma Vollebergh
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  3. Wim Meeus
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  4. Ron de Graaf
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  5. Rutger C. M. E. Engels
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Correspondence to Geertjan Overbeek.

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Overbeek, G., Vollebergh, W., Meeus, W. et al. Young adults’ recollections of parental bonds. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 39, 703–710 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-004-0806-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-004-0806-9

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