SAGE Journal Articles

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Journal Article 1: Seibert, A., & Kerns, K. (2014). Early mother-child attachment: Longitudinal prediction to the quality of peer relationships in middle childhood. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 39(2), 130-138.

Abstract: Although it is hypothesized that children with different insecure attachment patterns may experience a variety of peer difficulties, the question has been investigated almost exclusively for externalizing and internalizing behaviors with peers. The purpose of this study was to investigate how each of the insecure attachment patterns is related to other features of peer relationships using data from the NICHD SECC (N = 1,140 families). Secure children were rated by mothers and teachers as less excluded by peers than avoidant and disorganized children, although the latter was only significant for boys. No behaviors were uniquely associated with ambivalent children. Avoidant children were rated high by mothers and teachers on asocial behavior, and lowest by teachers on relational aggression. Disorganized children were rated low by mothers on prosocial behavior and high on peer victimization as reported by mothers and teachers. Teachers rated disorganized children as showing higher levels of relational aggression than securely- and ambivalently-attached children. The pattern of findings revealed mixed evidence for the specificity hypothesis.

 

Journal Article 2: Allen, B. (2011). The use and abuse of attachment theory in clinical practice with maltreated children, part I: Diagnosis and assessment. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 12(1), 3-12.

Abstract: Debate has ensued regarding the appropriate assessment and diagnosis for school-age children who display severe behavioral problems as a result of previous abuse and neglect within the primary attachment relationship. The current nomenclature recognizes reactive attachment disorder and some clinicians have suggested broader categories of attachment disorder. These attempts at classification are often criticized on empirical grounds; however, often lost in these criticisms is the fact that that these diagnostic approaches often misapply attachment theory and research. This article summarizes the original contributions of John Bowlby and other attachment researchers to our understanding of child development, examines misguided attempts to apply attachment theory to the diagnosis and assessment of maltreated children, and offers a diagnostic conceptualization and assessment recommendations consistent with the available attachment research.

 

Journal Article 3: Allen, B. (2011). The use and abuse of attachment theory in clinical practice with maltreated children, Part II: Treatment. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 12(1), 13-22.

Abstract: Recent years have witnessed a growing debate about the role of attachment theory in the treatment of maltreated children. Many professional organizations have issued statements against physically restraining children as some attachment therapists promote; however, often lost in these debates is the fundamental issue of what attachment theory and research proposes as the appropriate form of treatment. Given that these attachment therapies are often directed toward maltreated children, it becomes critical for clinicians working with abused and neglected children to understand these issues and recognize unethical and dangerous treatments. This article provides a summary of the theoretical and empirical bases for the use of attachment theory in the treatment of maltreated school-age children, an examination of the ways questionable approaches to treatment have misinterpreted and misapplied attachment theory, and a conceptualization of attachment-based intervention grounded in current theory and research.

 

Journal Article 4: Mulder, R., Fergusson, D., & Horwood, J. (2013). Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms form a traumatic and non-traumatic stress response dimension. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 47(6), 569-577.

Abstract: This study aims to determine whether symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) form a latent dimension reflecting responsivity to life events and whether PTSD symptoms are specific to traumatic life events. A 30-year longitudinal study of a general population sample of 987 individuals were assessed for PTSD symptoms, exposure to adverse life events, and a variety of psychosocial measures. PTSD symptoms were tested using a confirmatory factor model and a range of fitted models were used to identify significant predictors of latent PTSD symptoms. The rate of DSM IV PTSD was 1.9%. However, subjects reported high rates of at least one significant traumatic or negative life event and PTSD symptoms. The PTSD symptoms conformed well to a single latent factor. There were strong linear associations between severity of PTSD symptoms and exposure to traumatic and non-traumatic life events. Factors contributing to latent PTSD symptoms were gender, childhood anxiety, neuroticism, self-esteem, and quality of parental care. Criteria for PTSD form an underlying dimension reflecting the individual’s level of responsivity to traumatic and non-traumatic stressful life events. PTSD symptoms form a continuum of severity with minor stress symptoms at one end and severe PTSD at the other.

 

Journal Article 5: Hinton, R., & Earnest, J. (2010). Stressors, coping, and social support among women in Papua New Guinea. Qualitative Health Research, 20(2), 224-238.

Abstract: In this study we used an interpretive, ethnographic, qualitative approach to examine Papua New Guinean women’s narratives and perceptions about their health and the ways in which these were linked to coping with personal adversity. Women used a variety of strategies to cope with psychosocial stressors and challenging life circumstances, including both reliance on their own agency and active efforts and the seeking of social and spiritual support. We observed that limited access to social and economic resources, combined with gender constraints, made women socially and culturally vulnerable to social strain that affected their physical and emotional health. A number of women used avoidance strategies that were related to lower levels of self-esteem and life satisfaction and displayed high levels of anxiety. We propose the need to understand the context in which coping takes place and to enhance resilience strategies used by women in developing countries such as Papua New Guinea to manage the multiple stressors associated with confronting life’s challenges.

 

Journal Article 6: Alang, S. M., McAlpine, D. D., & Henning-Smith, C. E. (2014). Disability, health insurance, and psychological sistress among US adults: An application of the stress process. Society and Mental Health, 4(3), 164-178.

Abstract: Structural resources, including access to health insurance, are understudied in relation to the stress process. Disability increases the likelihood of mental health problems, but health insurance may moderate this relationship. We explore health insurance coverage as a moderator of the relationship between disability and psychological distress. A pooled sample from 2008 to 2010 (N = 57,958) was obtained from the Integrated Health Interview Series. Chow tests were performed to assess insurance group differences in the association between disability and distress. Results indicated higher levels of distress associated with disability among uninsured adults compared with their peers with public or private insurance. The strength of the relationship between disability and distress was weaker for persons with public compared with private insurance. As the Affordable Care Act is implemented, decision makers should be aware of the potential for insurance coverage, especially public, to ameliorate secondary conditions such as psychological distress among persons who report a physical disability.