title: Middle Childhood Support-Seeking Behavior During Stress: Links With Self-Reported Attachment and Future Depressive Symptoms.
abstract: This study tested whether children's more anxious and avoidant attachment is linked to decreased support-seeking behavior toward their mother during stress in middle childhood, and whether children's decreased support-seeking behavior enhances the impact of experiencing life events on the increase of depressive symptoms 18 months later. Ninety-eight 8- to 12-year-old children filled out questionnaires assessing their level of anxious and avoidant attachment and depressive symptoms. Children's support-seeking behavior was observed through measuring the time children waited before calling for their mother's help while carrying out a stressful task. Results supported the hypothesis that more anxiously or avoidantly attached children waited longer before seeking maternal support. Moreover, waiting longer was related to increased depressive symptoms at follow-up in children who reported more experienced life events.
authors.affiliation: University of Leuven.
authors.forename: Adinda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dujardin
authors.affiliation: University of Leuven.
authors.forename: Tara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Santens
authors.affiliation: Ghent University.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Braet
authors.affiliation: Ghent University.
authors.forename: Rudi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Raedt
authors.affiliation: University of Leuven.
authors.forename: Pieter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vos
authors.affiliation: University of Leuven.
authors.forename: Bea
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Maes
authors.affiliation: University of Leuven.
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bosmans
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D000066505:Help-Seeking Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations / Q000523:psychology*; D009769:Object Attachment; D057566:Self Report; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*