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The Role of Attachment Representation in the Relationship Between Depressive Symptomatology and Social Withdrawal in Middle Childhood

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We investigated the relationships among attachment representation, social withdrawal, and depressive symptomatology in childhood. A total of 326 children aged 8 to 10 years participated in the study. Children completed a family drawing procedure to assess attachment representation, the Children's Depression Inventory and the Social Withdrawal subscale of the Personality Inventory for Youth. Social withdrawal and attachment representations indicative of attachment dysfunction were each found to be positively correlated with depressive symptomatology. Further, attachment representation was found to significantly moderate the relationship between withdrawal and depression such that the positive relationship between withdrawal and depression was attenuated in the absence of attachment representations indicative of attachment dysfunction.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This research was funded by an Australian Research Council large grant: number A79927142

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Monash University, Victoria, Australia

    Eleonora Gullone Ph.D. (Associate Professor)

  2. Department of Psychology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA

    Thomas H. Ollendick Ph.D. (Professor)

  3. Faculty of Education, Monash University, Victoria, Australia

    Neville J. King Ph.D. (Professor)

  4. School of Psychology, Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, Monash University, Monash, Victoria, Australia, 3800

    Eleonora Gullone Ph.D. (Associate Professor)

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  1. Eleonora Gullone Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Eleonora Gullone Ph.D..

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Gullone, E., Ollendick, T.H. & King, N.J. The Role of Attachment Representation in the Relationship Between Depressive Symptomatology and Social Withdrawal in Middle Childhood. J Child Fam Stud 15, 263–277 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-006-9034-0

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