Haley J. Webb

Review: Is Parent–Child Attachment a Correlate of Children’s Emotion Regulation and Coping?

Attachment theorists have described the parent–child attachment relationship as a foundation for the emergence and development of children’s capacity for emotion regulation and coping with stress. The purpose of this review was to summarize the existing research addressing this issue. We identified 23 studies that employed validated assessments of attachment, which were not based on self-report questionnaires, and separated the summary into findings for toddlers/preschool, children, and adolescents. Although most associations were weak and only a minority of the multiple possible associations tested was supported in each study, all studies (but one) reported at least one significant association between attachment and emotion regulation or coping. The evidence pointed to the regulatory and coping problems of toddlers showing signs of ambivalent attachment or the benefits of secure (relative to insecure) attachment for toddlers, children, and adolescents. Toddlers who showed signs of avoidant attachment relied more on self-related regulation (or less social-oriented regulation and coping), but it was not clear whether these responses were maladaptive. There was little information available regarding associations of ambivalent attachment with school-age children’s or adolescents’ emotion regulation. There were also few studies that assessed disorganized attachment.Attachment theorists have described the parent–child attachment relationship as a foundation for the emergence and development of children’s capacity for emotion regulation and coping with stress. ...

Victimization, social anxiety, and body dysmorphic concerns: Appearance-based rejection sensitivity as a mediator

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is characterized by extreme preoccupation with perceived deficits in physical appearance, and sufferers experience severe impairment in functioning. Previous research has indicated that individuals with BDD are high in social anxiety, and often report being the victims of appearance-based teasing. However, there is little research into the possible mechanisms that might explain these relationships. The current study examined appearance-based rejection sensitivity as a mediator between perceived appearance-based victimization, social anxiety, and body dysmorphic symptoms in a sample of 237 Australian undergraduate psychology students. Appearance-based rejection sensitivity fully mediated the relationship between appearance-based victimization and body dysmorphic symptoms, and partially mediated the relationship between social anxiety and body dysmorphic symptoms. Findings suggest that individuals high in social anxiety or those who have a history of more appearance-based victimization may have a bias towards interpreting further appearance-based rejection, which may contribute to extreme appearance concerns such as BDD.

An evaluation of parent-child interaction therapy with and without motivational enhancement to reduce attrition

Although many interventions for child externalizing behavior report promising outcomes for families, high attrition prior to program completion remains a problem. Many programs report dropout rates of 50% or higher. In this trial we sought to reduce attrition and improve outcomes by augmenting a well-known evidence-based intervention, Parent–Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), with a 3-session individual motivational enhancement component. Participants were 192 Australian caregivers (91.7% female; Mage = 34.4 years) and their children (33.3% female; Mage = 4.4 years). Families (51% referred from child welfare or health services for risk of maltreatment) were assigned to PCIT or a supported waitlist, with families assigned to PCIT receiving either standard PCIT (S/PCIT) or motivation-enhanced PCIT (M/PCIT), depending on their time of entry to the study. Waitlist families received phone calls every week for 12 weeks. Parents in M/PCIT reported more readiness to change their behavior from preassessment to after the motivation sessions. Also, parents who reported high, rather than low, motivation at preassessment did have a lower attrition rate, and there was some evidence that enhancing motivation was protective of premature attrition to the extent that caregivers achieved a high degree of change in motivation. Yet comparison of attrition rates and survival analyses revealed no difference between M/PCIT and S/PCIT in retention rate. Finally, there were greater reductions in externalizing and internalizing child behavior problems and parental stress among families in S/PCIT and M/PCIT compared with waitlist, and there was generally no significant difference between the two treatment conditions.

Promoting young children’s interpersonal safety knowledge, intentions, confidence, and protective behavior skills: Outcomes of a randomized controlled trial

Promoting young childrens interpersonal safety knowledge, intentions confidence and skills is the goal of many child maltreatment prevention programs; however, evaluation of their effectiveness has been limited. In this study, a randomized controlled trial was conducted examining the effectiveness of the Australian protective behaviors program, Learn to be safe with Emmy and friends™ compared to a waitlist condition. In total, 611 Australian children in Grade 1 (5-7 years; 50% male) participated, with assessments at Pre-intervention, Post-intervention and a 6-month follow-up. This study also included a novel assessment of interpersonal safety skills through the Observed Protective Behaviors Test (OPBT). Analyses showed participating in Learn to be safe with Emmy and friends™ was effective post-program in improving interpersonal safety knowledge (child and parent-rated) and parent-rated interpersonal safety skills. These benefits were retained at the 6-month follow-up, with participating children also reporting increased disclosure confidence. However, Learn to be safe with Emmy and friends™ participation did not significantly impact childrens disclosure intentions, safety identification skills, or interpersonal safety skills as measured by the OPBT. Future research may seek to evaluate the effect of further parent and teacher integration into training methods and increased use of behavioral rehearsal and modelling to more effectively target specific disclosure intentions and skills.

Resisting the temptation of food: Regulating overeating and associations with emotion regulation, mindfulness, and eating pathology

Abstract Objective The ability to regulate overeating has been recognised as integral to healthy weight management and an alternative approach to dieting in addressing excess weight, yet it has received limited examination. Accordingly, our aim was to identify demographic and psychological correlates of overeating regulation in a sample of university students, to facilitate greater understanding of this self‐regulatory capacity. Variables of interest included emotion regulation, mindfulness, eating pathology, age, and gender. Method Self‐report measures were completed by 312 Australian university students (68% female; M age = 22 years). Results Exploratory factor analyses indicated three overeating regulation subscales: (1) general overeating regulation (general ability to resist overeating); (2) discomfort overeating dysregulation (inability to resist overeating when experiencing physical pain or negative emotions); and (3) leisure overeating dysregulation (inability to resist overeating in leisure contexts and/or in the presence of high calorie foods). Overeating regulation was not associated with age; though young men reported better general overeating regulation capacity than young women. Individuals reporting greater ability to regulate overeating (across all three subscales) reported better emotion regulation and mindfulness, and less eating pathology. Multiple regression analyses showed that the emotion regulation subscales of goal‐directedness, emotional awareness, and impulse control, and the mindfulness subscales of acting with awareness and non‐reactivity to inner experience were unique correlates of the overeating regulation subscales. Conclusions This study offers greater understanding about the different facets of overeating regulation, and highlights the relevance of emotion regulation and mindfulness in this adaptive eating practise.

Intuitive, mindful, emotional, external and regulatory eating behaviours and beliefs: An investigation of the core components

The aim of this study was to identify the interrelations between, and the core components of, adaptive and maladaptive measures of eating behaviours. Participants were 2018 females (Mage = 23.14 years) who completed measures of intuitive eating, mindful eating, overeating regulation, dietary restraint, emotional eating, external eating, and overeating dysregulation in contexts of leisure and discomfort. Most associations between eating measures were significant, with the largest association between eating for physical rather than emotional reasons (intuitive eating) and emotional eating, and the smallest and nonsignificant associations usually involving the mindful eating subscales. Principle component analysis of the composite scores for all measured eating subscales revealed a 4-component structure. Component 1, labelled attuned eating, reflected positive loadings for eating for physical rather than emotional reasons (intuitive eating); act with awareness, present eating, and non-reactivity (mindful eating); and overeating regulation. Attuned eating also had negative loadings for emotional eating, external eating, and leisure and discomfort overeating dysregulation. Component 2, labelled unrestrained eating, reflected positive loadings for unconditional permission to eat (intuitive eating) and acceptance (mindful eating), but also a negative loading for dietary restraint. Component 3, labelled eating and hunger awareness, had positive loadings for reliance on hunger/satiety cues (intuitive eating) and awareness (mindful eating). Component 4, labelled casual eating attitudes, was represented by positive loadings for non-reactivity and flexibility (mindful eating). These findings highlight the complexity of eating behaviour by revealing that although many adaptive and maladaptive eating concepts appear to tap opposite ends of a continuum of attuned versus disinhibited eating, several other adaptive and maladaptive eating concepts are better described as tapping somewhat unique attitudes, beliefs, motivations, and behaviours regarding food and eating.

The Self-Perception of flexible coping with stress: A new measure and relations with emotional adjustment

Abstract Objective: To develop a theoretically grounded measure of self-perceived ability to cope with stress in a flexible (i.e. non-rigid) manner and test associations with well-being. Method: Participants in Study 1 (N = 395, 17–56 years) completed surveys to report flexible coping with stress and well-being. In Studies 2 (N = 645, 17–27 years) and 3 (N = 558, 12–19 years), youth completed surveys with the 18-item Self-Perception of Flexible Coping with Stress (SFCS), and coping and well-being measures. Results: Three SFCS factors were supported, which aligned to the conceptualization including multiple coping strategy use (multiple CSU), coping rigidity, and situational coping. The SFCS subscales had good reliability and were modestly correlated with each other. Also, multiple CSU and situational coping were linked to better mental health, emotion regulation, greater use of adaptive coping strategies, and better self-worth. Coping rigidity was linked with more symptoms of anxiety and depression, more emotion dysregulation, greater use of problem-coping behaviors, and lower self-worth. Older participants reported they were higher in flexible coping and sex differences in multiple CSU and situational coping were found. Conclusions. The SFCS, a measure of the deployment of a coping “toolbox” that could allow individuals to respond adroitly to stressors, is reliable, valid, and associated with well-being.

A Contextual Examination of the Associations Between Social Support, Self-Esteem, and Psychological Well-Being among Jamaican Adolescents

Research on adolescent development and well-being has demonstrated the beneficial effects of social support and self-esteem for positive adjustment. However, there has been little examination of the associations between adolescents’ social support, self-esteem, and well-being within a Caribbean framework, and consideration to family factors that may moderate such associations. Accordingly, the current study explored the associations of perceived family and peer social support, self-esteem, and psychological well-being within the framework of several family contextual factors among 334 Jamaican adolescents (Mage = 14.56, 51% boys). Family support showed direct and indirect associations with depression, anxiety, stress, and well-being through self-esteem while peer support only showed a direct positive association with well-being. Furthermore, several contextual factors demonstrated important associations with the variables of interest, though none of these significantly altered model fitness. The results demonstrate the protective nature of social support and self-esteem for Jamaican adolescents, and suggest that further longitudinal examinations are warranted.