The timing of adverse childhood experiences and adult attachment insecurity

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) encompass a wide range of abuse, neglect, community violence, and household dysfunction that occur before the age of 18. ACEs are related to depression, anxiety disorders, and other mental and behavioral health indicators in adulthood. However, much of the research on ACEs is guided by a subtle, often untested, assumption. Specifically, ACEs are assumed to be especially consequential because they happen during childhood. We set out to test this assumption with respect to adult attachment insecurity with a multinational adult sample (N = 7,751). We fit linear models in which we regressed both attachment anxiety and avoidance on the age of first occurrence for 14 kinds of ACEs. We found that the age at which one is exposed to ACEs is generally unrelated to their general and romantic adult attachment insecurity. However, the age of first occurrence is related to parental attachment, such that experiencing ACEs at an earlier age is associated with higher parental attachment insecurity. Implications for the ACEs and attachment literatures are discussed.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2024

Author dc:creator

• Saxsma, Matthew Gregg

Contributors dc:contributor

• Fraley, Robert C
• Roberts, Brent W

• Adverse Childhood Experiences
• Adult Attachment
• Close Relationships

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2024 Matthew Saxsma

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/127286

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F127286