Loneliness and Depression in Middle and Late Childhood: Its Relationship To Attachment and Parental Styles

MARÍA CRISTINA RICHAUD

JOURNAL OF GENETIC PSYCHOLOGY

Heldref PUblication

Lugar: Washington - USA; Año: 2005

0022-1325

Our purpose is to analyze the relationship between parenting and attachment with self-competence, loneliness and depression in children aged 8-12. The Argentine Scale of Perception of the Relationships with Parents, Kerns’ Security Scale, Harter’s Self-Perception Profile for Children,  Harter and Nowakowski’s Dimensions of Depression Profile for children and adolescents, and Louvain Loneliness Scale for Children and Adolescents, were administered to 1,019 middle class children, aged 8 -12, both sexes. Results indicate that attachment and parents-child relationship styles are differentiated constructs. Parents’ acceptance promotes secure attachment and positive outcomes in children. Moreover father’s lack of interest has a marked negative effect.  There are differences in the perception and influence of father and mother, which follow the cultural patterns of gender attribution. Keywords: Parenting  Attachment  Self-competence  Loneliness