(PS9-C64) An Examination of Insecure Attachment and Perceived Sleep Quality Among Adolescents

Saturday, November 19, 2022

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM EST

Location: Westside Ballroom, 5th Floor

Author(s)

Linda M. Thompson, M.A.

Doctoral Student
University of North Texas
Denton, Texas

Co-Author(s)

AL

Amber Ledesma, B.A.

Post-Baccalaureate Researcher
University of North Texas
Denton, Texas
FG

Francesca Gentea, None

Undergraduate Researcher
University of North Texas
Denton, Texas
CJ

Colten Jones, None

Undergraduate Researcher
University of North Texas
Denton, Texas
Faraha Hasan, M.S.

Doctoral Student
University of North Texas
Denton, Texas
HB

Heidemarie Blumenthal, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
University of North Texas
Denton, Texas

Attachment styles have been linked to sleep problems in both adult and child populations (Scarfe & Eldrige, 2001; McNamara et al., 2011). Previous research has demonstrated that securely attached individuals are more likely to report higher sleep quality than those with greater attachment avoidance or attachment anxiety (Scarfe & Eldrige, 2001; McNamara et al., 2011). However, research examining sleep quality among children is limited by the fact that measures are often completed from the parent perspective, thus may underestimate the amplitude of sleep difficulties among youth (Adams et al., 2014). Further, no work has directly examined the association between insecure attachment (i.e., avoidance and anxiety) and sleep quality in adolescence. It is essential to understand the correlates of sleep problems among adolescents as this developmental period is characterized by rapid change and vulnerability in this domain (Dewald et al., 2014). Preventive interventions that reduce attachment insecurity before attachment behaviors become less malleable in adulthood could be developed to mitigate future health risks, including sleep dysfunction (Mikulincer & Shaver, 2007). Therefore, the present study examined level of attachment avoidance and anxiety in relation to subjective sleep quality in a community-recruited sample of 114 adolescents ages 14-17 (M_age = 16.01, SD = 0.95; 64% girls; 75.4% White). The Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised-General Short Form (Wilkinson, 2011) was used to assess dimensions of attachment, specifically avoidance and anxiety. Sleep was assessed using the relevant item from the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (Buysee et al., 1989). Based on prior work identifying differential sleep patterns, age and gender also were included as covariates (Dewald et al., 2010). A multiple linear regression analysis was performed to test whether attachment avoidance and anxiety predicted subjective sleep quality. In Step 1, neither age nor gender were significantly related to subjective sleep quality in the current sample. In Step 2, the overall model was significant, F (4, 106) = 5.08, p < .001, f² = 0.19, and accounted for 16.1% of the variance. Avoidance (β = .23, t = 2.57, p = .013, sr² = .05) and anxiety (β = .27, t = 3.06, p = .003, sr² = .07) significantly predicted subjective sleep quality; specifically, as avoidance and anxious attachment scores increased, the perception of sleep quality worsened. Overall, the findings suggest that insecure attachment, and anxiety in particular, is associated with poorer subjective sleep quality. Future research should consider other more proximal and contextual factors that may interact with facets of attachment and sleep quality such as depression, stress, and/or family environment. Additionally, the inclusion of more sophisticated sleep assessments (i.e., sleep diaries, actigraphy) and more diverse sampling should be explored.