Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2024 Oct 1;79(10). doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbae137.
This study examined the extent to which multiple relationship-specific attachment schemas (general, parent-child, and romantic) are interrelated and relate to depressive symptoms among older adults living with early-stage dementia and their adult children, a context likely to activate the attachment system.
The study consisted of 150 early-stage cognitively impaired parents and one child. Both self-reported general, parent-child, and romantic attachment anxiety as well as avoidance and depressive symptoms. Parents' cognitive and functional impairment were assessed.
Most attachment variables were interrelated for individuals, except that the child's parent-child-specific avoidance was not associated with their general or romantic avoidance. The parent's worse functional, but not cognitive, impairment was associated with the child's greater parent-child-specific attachment anxiety. Using Actor Partner Interdependence Models, general attachment anxiety was associated with greater depressive symptoms (actor effects). When both dyad members were high in general avoidance, depressive symptoms were greatest (actor × partner effect). A parent had the greatest depressive symptoms when they were avoidantly attached to their child (role × actor effect) and their child was high in anxiety and low in avoidance toward them (role × partner effects). A child had the greatest depressive symptoms when they were low in avoidance toward the parent (role × actor effect) and the parent was low in anxiety and high in avoidance toward the child (role × partner effects). Romantic anxiety was associated with greater depressive symptoms (actor effects).
Psychosocial interventions that incorporate attachment theory as a framework may benefit parent-child dyads coping with dementia.
本研究考察了多种特定关系的依恋模式（一般、亲子和浪漫）之间的相互关系，以及它们与患有早期痴呆症的老年患者及其成年子女的抑郁症状之间的关系，因为这种关系可能会激活依恋系统。
该研究包括 150 名患有早期认知障碍的父母和一名子女。两者均自我报告了一般、亲子和浪漫的依恋焦虑以及回避和抑郁症状。评估了父母的认知和功能障碍。
除了孩子的亲子特定回避与他们的一般或浪漫回避无关之外，大多数依恋变量在个体之间是相互关联的。父母的功能障碍（而非认知障碍）越差，与孩子的亲子特定依恋焦虑程度越高有关。使用演员-伙伴相互依存模型，一般依恋焦虑与更大的抑郁症状相关（演员效应）。当双方都高度回避时，抑郁症状最严重（演员×伙伴效应）。当父母回避与孩子的关系时，他们的抑郁症状最严重（角色×演员效应），而当孩子对父母的回避程度较低且对父母的焦虑和回避程度较高时，他们的抑郁症状最严重（角色×伙伴效应）。孩子对父母的回避程度较低，而父母对孩子的焦虑和回避程度较高时，孩子的抑郁症状最严重（角色×演员效应）。浪漫焦虑与更大的抑郁症状相关（演员效应）。
将依恋理论作为框架的心理社会干预措施可能有益于应对痴呆症的亲子二人组。
