Emotional and Sexual Maltreatment: Anxious Attachment Mediates Psychological Adjustment

Authors

Alicia Limke, University of Central Oklahoma
Carolin J. Showers, University of OklahomaFollow
Virgil Zeigler-Hill, University of Southern MississippiFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2010

Department

Psychology

Abstract

The role of attachment as a possible mediator of adjustment differences was examined in two samples of college students who had experienced childhood maltreatment before age 15. although both emotionally and sexually maltreated samples had elevated scores on self-report measures of anxious and avoidant attachment compared to demographically-yoked controls, only anxious attachment mediated deficits in psychological adjustment. Discussion focuses on the possible differential consequences of anxious versus avoidant adult attachment; the implications of partial mediation for the emotionally maltreated sample; and evidence that maltreated samples may utilize coping strategies that range from those that are generally positive or adaptive to those that are sometimes negative or maladaptive.

Publication Title

Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology

Volume

29

Issue

3

First Page

347

Last Page

367

Recommended Citation

Limke, A., Showers, C. J., Zeigler-Hill, V. (2010). Emotional and Sexual Maltreatment: Anxious Attachment Mediates Psychological Adjustment. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 29(3), 347-367.
Available at: https://aquila.usm.edu/fac_pubs/922