Attachment and the Development of Depressive Symptoms in Adolescence: The Role of Regulating Positive and Negative Affect

Abstract Although widely accepted, attachment theory’s hypothesis that insecure is associated with the development of depressive symptoms through emotion regulation strategies has never been longitudinally tested in adolescence. Additionally, previous research only focused on for regulating negative affect, whereas positive affect may also serve as a mechanism linking to symptoms. This study aimed fill these gaps by testing whether association between and change over time explained Adolescents ( N = 1706; 53% girls; M age 12.78 years, SD 1.54 at Time 1) were three times, 1-year interval measurement times. They reported their anxiety avoidance 1, Times 1 3, (brooding dampening) (focusing reflection) 2. The results from multiple mediation analyses showed more anxiously attached adolescents developed via increased brooding dampening. More avoidantly decreased focusing. These findings provide longitudinal support hypothesis, show both important.