Quality of Social Relationships and the Development of Depression in Parentally-Bereaved Youth |
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Authors: | Erin N Schoenfelder Irwin N Sandler Sharlene Wolchik David MacKinnon |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, 900 S. McAllister St., Rm. 205 Tempe, Phoenix, AZ 85287-6005, USA |
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Abstract: | Fear of abandonment has been found to be associated with mental health problems for youth who have experienced a parent’s
death. This article examines how youth’s fears of abandonment following the death of a parent lead to later depressive symptoms
by influencing relationships with caregivers, peers, and romantic partners. Participants were 109 youth ages 7–16 (50% male),
assessed 4 times over a 6-year period. The ethnic composition of the sample was non-Hispanic Caucasian (67%), Hispanic (16%),
African American (7%), Native American (3%), Asian (1%), and Other (6%). Youth’s fears of abandonment by their surviving caregiver
during the first year of data collection were related to their anxiety in romantic relationships 6 years later, which, in
turn, was associated with depressive symptoms measured at 6 years. Youth’s caregiver, peer, and romantic relationships at
the 6-year follow-up were related to their concurrent depressive symptoms. The relationship between youth’s attachment to
their surviving caregiver and their depressive symptoms was stronger for younger participants. Implications of these findings
for understanding the development of mental health problems following parental bereavement are discussed. |
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Keywords: | |
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