Attachment Mediates the Childhood Maltreatment–Daily Hassles Link in Low-Income, Suicidal African American Women

Abstract

This study examined if attachment patterns mediated the link between childhood maltreatment and total daily and interpersonally oriented life hassles in 135 low-income, inner-city, suicidal African American women. Participants completed self-report measures of childhood maltreatment, attachment styles, and daily life hassles dimensions. Bootstrapping analyses revealed that (a) negative views of self mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and social and cultural difficulties and social acceptability; and (b) negative views of other mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and total daily life hassles, social victimization, and social and cultural difficulties. These findings can inform interventions for suicidal African American women with a history of childhood maltreatment and subsequent maladaptive attachment styles.

Keywords:

• African American women
• attachment
• childhood trauma
• life events
• suicide

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by grants from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (R49 CCR421767-01, Group interventions with suicidal African-American women) and the National Institute of Mental Health (1R01MH078002-01A2, Group interviews for abused, suicidal Black women) awarded to Nadine J. Kaslow. None of the authors have any conflicts of interest to report.