MOTHER-CHILD ATTACHMENT SECURITY AND SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION IN MIDLLE CHILDHOOD

This study examined the role of mother-child attachment security in the development of children's depressive symptoms in middle childhood. The quality of attachment was assessed in a sample of one hundred and thirty-nine 9-12 year-old children using self-report questionnaire Security Scale (version for mother). Depressive symptoms were measured by Children's Depression Inventory. When child's sex and age were controlled for, mother's availability was a particularly important predictor of lower levels of depression and the majority of symptoms, whereas mother's reliance was not. Findings are further discussed within the context of normative changes in attachment in middle childhood and previous research on associations between attachment and internalizing problems.