Adult Romantic Attachment among Women who Experienced Childhood Maternal Loss

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between childhood maternal loss and adult attachment quality among 30 motherless women and their matched controls. Motherless women reported significantly more anxiety and avoidance in their adult romantic relationships, despite the fact that two-thirds of them recalled positive relationships with their deceased parents. The role of perceived vulnerability to loss is discussed as a possible explanation, whereby motherless women may feel preoccupied with the potential loss of their spouses (anxiety) and protect themselves from future losses by disengaging from their spousal relationships (avoidance).