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Pathways to Anxiety: Contributions of Attachment History, Temperament, Peer Competence, and Ability to Manage Intense Emotions

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Abstract

This longitudinal study tested whether associations between early attachment history and temperament and later anxiety symptoms are direct, or are indirect and explained by children’s competencies in regulating emotions and relating to peers. Attachment patterns (secure, avoidant, preoccupied, disorganized) were assessed at 15 and 36 months, and temperament (negative emotionality—NE, Shyness) was assessed at 54 months. Peer competence (PC) and the ability to manage intense emotions were assessed at early school age, and anxiety symptoms in preadolescence. Both attachment history and temperament predicted anxiety. PC mediated the relations of security and disorganization with anxiety, and the ability to manage intense emotions mediated the relation between security and anxiety. PC also mediated the relations of NE and shyness with anxiety, and the ability to manage intense emotions mediated the relation of NE with anxiety. The findings highlight specific mechanisms that may contribute to the development of anxiety.

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Acknowledgments

This study was based on data from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care. The NICHD support for the data collection is gratefully acknowledged. This study is based on a dissertation submitted by Laura E. Brumariu in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree.

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  1. Laura E. Brumariu

    Present address: Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Kent State University, Kent, OH, 44242, USA

    Laura E. Brumariu & Kathryn A. Kerns

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  1. Laura E. Brumariu
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  2. Kathryn A. Kerns
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Correspondence to Laura E. Brumariu.

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Brumariu, L.E., Kerns, K.A. Pathways to Anxiety: Contributions of Attachment History, Temperament, Peer Competence, and Ability to Manage Intense Emotions. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 44, 504–515 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-012-0345-7

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