This mixed-methods, cross-sectional study investigated the associations between childhood emotional neglect, perfectionism, attachment insecurity, and internalizing symptoms (depression and anxiety) among adults from varying socioeconomic (SES) backgrounds. Participants (N = 210) aged 18 years or older completed five validated self-report instruments for the quantitative analyses and answered two optional open-ended questions that yielded qualitative data. Data from the self-report measures were analyzed using independent samples t-tests, linear regressions, and moderation analyses conducted with the PROCESS macro. Three hypotheses were tested in this study. First, participants from high-SES backgrounds reported experiencing emotional neglect more frequently than other maltreatment subtypes (t = -2.33, p = .021, d = -.34), supporting the hypothesis that emotional neglect may be relevant in high-SES environments. Second, within the high-SES subgroup (n = 61), emotional neglect predicted higher perfectionism (β = .40, R² = .16, p = .001), greater depressive symptoms (β = .36, R² = .13, p = .004), and increased anxiety (β = .41, R² = .17, p < .001). Third, attachment anxiety, but not attachment avoidance, significantly moderated the relationship between emotional neglect and perfectionism (ΔR² = .018, p = .033), with stronger associations observed at higher levels of attachment anxiety. Results from this study challenge assumptions that financial privilege protects children from maltreatment and highlights the importance of looking at both relational factors, such as attachment, and personality factors, such as perfectionism, when attempting to better understand the lasting impact of childhood adversities. Clinical implications include routine screening and culturally sensitive care when working with individuals from high-SES households where emotional neglect may be masked by privilege.
","abstract_html":"<p>This mixed-methods, cross-sectional study investigated the associations between childhood emotional neglect, perfectionism, attachment insecurity, and internalizing symptoms (depression and anxiety) among adults from varying socioeconomic (SES) backgrounds. Participants (N = 210) aged 18 years or older completed five validated self-report instruments for the quantitative analyses and answered two optional open-ended questions that yielded qualitative data. Data from the self-report measures were analyzed using independent samples t-tests, linear regressions, and moderation analyses conducted with the PROCESS macro. Three hypotheses were tested in this study. First, participants from high-SES backgrounds reported experiencing emotional neglect more frequently than other maltreatment subtypes (t = -2.33, p = .021, d = -.34), supporting the hypothesis that emotional neglect may be relevant in high-SES environments. Second, within the high-SES subgroup (n = 61), emotional neglect predicted higher perfectionism (β = .40, R² = .16, p = .001), greater depressive symptoms (β = .36, R² = .13, p = .004), and increased anxiety (β = .41, R² = .17, p < .001). Third, attachment anxiety, but not attachment avoidance, significantly moderated the relationship between emotional neglect and perfectionism (ΔR² = .018, p = .033), with stronger associations observed at higher levels of attachment anxiety. Results from this study challenge assumptions that financial privilege protects children from maltreatment and highlights the importance of looking at both relational factors, such as attachment, and personality factors, such as perfectionism, when attempting to better understand the lasting impact of childhood adversities. Clinical implications include routine screening and culturally sensitive care when working with individuals from high-SES households where emotional neglect may be masked by privilege. </p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Biedrzycki, Jordan"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Psy.D. Doctor of Clinical Psychology","degree_level":"Dissertation - Public Access","degree_discipline":"Clinical Psychology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Emese Vitalis, PhD","Brad Olson, PhD","Leah Horvath, PhD"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-10-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2025-10-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:21:46Z","subjects":["emotional neglect","high-SES","perfectionism","attachment insecurity","Psychology"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss/944","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Emese Vitalis, PhD","Brad Olson, PhD","Leah Horvath, PhD"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Biedrzycki, Jordan"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2025-12-05T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Clinical Psychology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation - Public Access"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Psy.D. Doctor of Clinical Psychology"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["emotional neglect","high-SES","perfectionism","attachment insecurity","Psychology"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss/944"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This mixed-methods, cross-sectional study investigated the associations between childhood emotional neglect, perfectionism, attachment insecurity, and internalizing symptoms (depression and anxiety) among adults from varying socioeconomic (SES) backgrounds. Participants (N = 210) aged 18 years or older completed five validated self-report instruments for the quantitative analyses and answered two optional open-ended questions that yielded qualitative data. Data from the self-report measures were analyzed using independent samples t-tests, linear regressions, and moderation analyses conducted with the PROCESS macro. Three hypotheses were tested in this study. First, participants from high-SES backgrounds reported experiencing emotional neglect more frequently than other maltreatment subtypes (t = -2.33, p = .021, d = -.34), supporting the hypothesis that emotional neglect may be relevant in high-SES environments. Second, within the high-SES subgroup (n = 61), emotional neglect predicted higher perfectionism (β = .40, R² = .16, p = .001), greater depressive symptoms (β = .36, R² = .13, p = .004), and increased anxiety (β = .41, R² = .17, p < .001). Third, attachment anxiety, but not attachment avoidance, significantly moderated the relationship between emotional neglect and perfectionism (ΔR² = .018, p = .033), with stronger associations observed at higher levels of attachment anxiety. Results from this study challenge assumptions that financial privilege protects children from maltreatment and highlights the importance of looking at both relational factors, such as attachment, and personality factors, such as perfectionism, when attempting to better understand the lasting impact of childhood adversities. Clinical implications include routine screening and culturally sensitive care when working with individuals from high-SES households where emotional neglect may be masked by privilege.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Exploring the Relationships Between Childhood Emotional Neglect, Attachment, Perfectionism, and Adult Mental Health Struggles Across the Socioeconomic Spectrum"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Emese Vitalis, PhD","Brad Olson, PhD","Leah Horvath, PhD"],"dc:creator":["Biedrzycki, Jordan"],"dc:date.available":["2025-12-05T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This mixed-methods, cross-sectional study investigated the associations between childhood emotional neglect, perfectionism, attachment insecurity, and internalizing symptoms (depression and anxiety) among adults from varying socioeconomic (SES) backgrounds. Participants (N = 210) aged 18 years or older completed five validated self-report instruments for the quantitative analyses and answered two optional open-ended questions that yielded qualitative data. Data from the self-report measures were analyzed using independent samples t-tests, linear regressions, and moderation analyses conducted with the PROCESS macro. Three hypotheses were tested in this study. First, participants from high-SES backgrounds reported experiencing emotional neglect more frequently than other maltreatment subtypes (t = -2.33, p = .021, d = -.34), supporting the hypothesis that emotional neglect may be relevant in high-SES environments. Second, within the high-SES subgroup (n = 61), emotional neglect predicted higher perfectionism (β = .40, R² = .16, p = .001), greater depressive symptoms (β = .36, R² = .13, p = .004), and increased anxiety (β = .41, R² = .17, p < .001). Third, attachment anxiety, but not attachment avoidance, significantly moderated the relationship between emotional neglect and perfectionism (ΔR² = .018, p = .033), with stronger associations observed at higher levels of attachment anxiety. Results from this study challenge assumptions that financial privilege protects children from maltreatment and highlights the importance of looking at both relational factors, such as attachment, and personality factors, such as perfectionism, when attempting to better understand the lasting impact of childhood adversities. Clinical implications include routine screening and culturally sensitive care when working with individuals from high-SES households where emotional neglect may be masked by privilege.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss/944"],"dc:subject":["emotional neglect","high-SES","perfectionism","attachment insecurity","Psychology"],"dc:title":["Exploring the Relationships Between Childhood Emotional Neglect, Attachment, Perfectionism, and Adult Mental Health Struggles Across the Socioeconomic Spectrum"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Clinical Psychology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation - Public Access"],"thesis:degree_name":["Psy.D. Doctor of Clinical Psychology"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:21:46Z"}