The influence of attachment style on support and feedback seeking and depression severity among mothers during the COVID‐19 pandemic

Abstract

AbstractObjectivesThe ways that people seek support during times of stress influence their mental health outcomes, including depression. Insecure attachment is a risk factor for depression and may also interfere with adaptive support and feedback‐seeking behaviour during stress. The purpose of the present study was to test theorized associations between insecure attachment, support and feedback seeking, and changes in depression symptoms over 1 year, in a sample of mothers of school‐age children in the context of stress elicited by the COVID‐19 pandemic.MethodsParticipants (N = 70 mothers) completed self‐report measures of anxious and avoidant attachment and depression severity at baseline in spring 2020 and then completed measures of past‐year engagement in direct and indirect support seeking and excessive reassurance seeking (ERS), preference for negative feedback, and depression severity at a follow‐up assessment in summer 2021.ResultsGreater attachment anxiety at baseline predicted more frequent direct support seeking, indirect support seeking, and ERS during the 1‐year follow‐up period. In turn, greater indirect support seeking predicted greater increases in depression from baseline to follow‐up. Greater attachment avoidance at baseline predicted less direct support seeking during the 1‐year follow‐up period. Greater attachment avoidance at baseline also predicted depression severity at follow‐up, particularly among mothers with moderate to high levels of attachment anxiety, although none of the examined support and feedback‐seeking behaviours mediated this association.ConclusionsThese results provide support for the role of activated attachment systems in determining support and feedback‐seeking behaviour during stress, as well as the role of support and feedback‐seeking behaviour in the maintenance and exacerbation of depression.