Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39088095›Full record

ArticleSocial psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology2025

Does attachment anxiety mediate the persistence of anxiety and depressive symptoms from adolescence to early adulthood?

Julie A Blake, Hannah J Thomas, Anita M Pelecanos, Jake M Najman, James G Scott

Abstract read
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Article in Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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1citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Julie A BlakeQIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Queensland, Australia. julie.blake@health.qld.gov.au.
Hannah J ThomasQIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Queensland, Australia.
Anita M PelecanosQIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Queensland, Australia.
Jake M NajmanSchool of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Herston, Queensland, Australia.
James G ScottQIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Queensland, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesDepression and anxiety often emerge in adolescence and persist into early adulthood. Developing a greater understanding of the factors that influence their persistence may inform psychological interventions. Their association with an insecure attachment style is well established although the mediating role of attachment anxiety in the persistence of depression and anxiety over time has not been examined. This study aimed to examine if anxious attachment mediated depression and anxiety from adolescence to early adulthood.

methodsData from 3,436 participants in a longitudinal birth cohort study were examined. At 14-years and 21-years, participants completed the Achenbach Youth Self Report (YSR) and the Achenbach Young Adult Self-Report (YASR) respectively. At 21-years, participants completed the Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ). Attachment anxiety as a mediator for the persistence of anxiety/depressive symptoms from 14- to 21-years was examined.

resultsAttachment anxiety accounted for approximately 60% of the persistence of anxiety and depressive symptoms at 14- and 21- years after adjusting for covariates. Results were similar when stratifying by males and females.

conclusionsAttachment anxiety significantly contributes to the persistence of anxiety and depressive symptoms from adolescence into early adulthood for both males and females. Incorporating interventions that address attachment anxiety in adolescents may improve the response to therapy for anxiety and depression.

Indexed as

AnxietyDepressionObject AttachmentAdolescentAdultBirth CohortFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleSelf ReportSurveys and QuestionnairesYoung AdultEmotionInner-working modelsRelationshipsYASRYSR

Identifiers

PMID39088095
PMCPMC11839844

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.