Twinship as a protective factor against behavioural and emotional problems at preschool age

Abstract

Early attachment has both protective and risk factors as regards later mental health. In Finland, insecure-avoidant-type attachment is overrepresented. Does this indicate a risk for emotional and behavioural problems at preschool age? In this study, we examined and compared the association between attachment and mental health in Finnish singletons and twins. The attachment of 27 singletons and 58 twins with both parents had previously been examined at the age of 18 months using Preschool Assessment of Attachment criteria. At the age of 4, the children's emotional and behavioural symptoms were assessed using Child Behavior Checklist questionnaires reported by parents. The mothers and fathers reported significantly more behavioural and emotional problems at preschool age in singletons than in twins. Insecure-avoidant-type attachment to the mother was significantly associated with higher scores concerning withdrawal, somatic problems and total internalising symptoms among singleton preschoolers, whereas among twins, no such correlations were observed. The results thus suggest that twinship is a protective factor in the trajectory from toddler avoidant attachment to internalising problems at preschool age.

Keywords:

• attachment
• twins
• preschooler
• emotional problems
• behavioural problems
• CBCL

Acknowledgements

We want to thank the participants of the study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

MD Tiina Tirkkonen is a Child Psychiatrist and a psychotherapist. She is doing research at the PEDEGO Research Center, and Medical Research Center Oulu, University of Oulu and University Hospital of Oulu, Finland.

MSc Leena Joskitt is a statistician and she is working at the PEDEGO Research Center, and Medical Research Center Oulu, University of Oulu, University Hospital of Oulu, Finland.

MD Anne Kunelius is a child psychiatrist and a psychotherapist. She is doing research at the PEDEGO Research Center, and Medical Research Center Oulu, University of Oulu, University Hospital of Oulu, Finland.

MD Marika Huhtaniska is a physician and she done her Master's PEDEGO Research Center, and Medical Research Center Oulu, University of Oulu, Finland.

MD, PhD Hanna Ebeling is a Professor of Child Psychiatry, PEDEGO Research Center, and Medical Research Center Oulu, University Hospital of Oulu, Finland.

MD, PhD Irma Moilanen is an emerita Professor of Child Psychiatry PEDEGO Research Center, and Medical Research Center Oulu, University of Oulu, University Hospital of Oulu, Finland.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Research Academy of Finland (PI: I. Moilanen), the Finnish Child Psychiatric Research Foundation (T. Tirkkonen) and Alma and KA Snellman Foundation, Oulu, Finland (T. Tirkkonen).