The intergenerational transmission of trauma: attachment, adverse childhood experiences, and current life stress

Attachment theory highlights the importance of the quality of the relationship between an infant and his or her primary caregiver. However, caregivers with unresolved trauma or loss may behave in frightening ways and foster a disorganized (D) attachment style with their infant. This attachment style poses a significant risk for later psychopathology. However, challenges remain in identifying D attachment through observation. The Emotional Availability (EA) system may help to elucidate the indicators of disorganization. Study 1 represents the first step in validating the EA system in identifying D attachment and provides guidelines to assist EA coders in coding D attachment. Next, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) negatively affect adults' mental health and their child's development. Despite theoretical links among caregivers' ACEs, current life stress, attachment, and child psychopathology, few studies have examined these pathways. This is particularly important in American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) populations, for which a history of systemic oppression has contributed to high rates of trauma. Study 2 tests whether parent mental health and parent-child EA mediates the relation between parent ACEs and child social-emotional functioning in a largely American Indian sample. The indirect effect is not significant, suggesting a strong direct effect from ACEs to child functioning. Study 2 also examines a moderation model to determine whether high parent-child EA buffers against parents' current life stress. Results demonstrate a strong link between parents' stress and child social-emotional problems, but the moderation effect is the opposite of what was expected.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Human Development and Family Studies

Grantor dc:publisher

Colorado State University. Libraries

Year dc:date.issued

2018

Authors dc:creator

• Saunders, Hannah E., author
• Biringen, Zeynep, advisor
• Fariñas, Janina, committee member
• Riggs, Nathaniel, committee member
• Sarche, Michelle, committee member
• Rosén, Lee, committee member

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright.

Language dc:language.iso

eng, English

Identifier URI

https://doi.org/10.25675/3.018601

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:mountainscholar.org:10217/191329