Child maltreatment leads to poorer adaptation through adult attachment anxiety: Results of a 10-year longitudinal study

This talk shares the results of a study examining the role of adult romantic attachment as a mechanism explaining the association between child maltreatment before age 14 years and psychological adaptation at age 24 years. A total of 604 participants from the general population took part of a 10 year longitudinal study. Child maltreatment (sexual, physical or emotional abuse) was retrospectively assessed at 14 and 24 years. Adult romantic attachment, self-esteem and psychological distress were evaluated at age 24. Path analyses revealed that insecure attachment partially mediated the relationship between the co-occurrence of child maltreatment (i.e., cumulative trauma) and later psychological adaptation outcomes. Overall, these results indicate that child maltreatment increases psychological distress and decreases self-esteem directly, but also indirectly through their link with attachment anxiety. Emerging adults with a history of child maltreatment represent a vulnerable population for psychological adaptation. Interventions targeting romantic attachment security may increase well-being among child maltreatment survivors