Early Maternal Employment Status and Attachment Quality: An Investigation of a Conditional Process Model

Abstract

This study examined how maternal employment status during the first year of a child’s life influenced later attachment quality. A sample of 1,364 mothers participated in the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development was categorized into five groups including consistent working, transition to working, transition to nonworking, consistent nonworking, and multiple transitions. Results supported the hypothesized model by showing two interrelated mediating mechanisms of depressive symptoms and maternal sensitivity. Mothers who have not worked consistently and experienced transition to nonworking showed higher levels of depressive symptoms when compared with mothers who have worked consistently, which in turn negatively influenced maternal sensitivity. Tests of moderated mediation indicated that among nonworking mothers, only those with negative attitudes toward employment showed lower levels of depressive symptoms compared with the consistent working group. Findings suggest different mechanisms involved in the relationship between early maternal employment and the development of secure attachment.