Intergenerational transmission of attachment. Family interactive dynamics and psychopathology: what kind of relation in adolescence?

Introduction: this work is an example of empirical research. Its aim is to look to the possible intergenerational influence between parents and adolescents attachment bond to their respective parents, infant armonic and/or disarmonic development and functional or dysfunctional family interactions (Main, Kaplan e Cassidy, 1985). Method: 40 families with adolescents aged from 12 to 18 (μ = 14.575, σ = 1.716) coming for a psychodiagnostic evaluation were tested with Lausanne Trilogue Play (LTP, Fivaz-Depeursinge & Corboz-Warnery, 1999), Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI, Parker, Tupling & Brown, 1979), Child Behaviour Check-List (CBCL, parents form) and Youth Self Report (YSR, adolescents form) (Achenbach, 2000-2001). Hypothesis: a) is there an association between the adolescent‘s perceived attachment relationship with his parents and his psychopathological symptoms? b) is there an association between parents-adolescent interactive dynamics and the parents‘ perceveid attachment relationship with their parents (adolescent‘s grand-parents). Results: a) ANOVA: significative statistical differences (p < .05) between adolescent psychopathology and the quality of perceived relationship with both the mother (affect without control) and the father (controlled affect). b) non-parametric Kruskal Wallis test for k indipendent groups: significant statistical differences (α < 0.05) between quality of relationship between the mother and her mother (adolescent‘s grand-mother) and some interactive dynamics: inclusion, co-construction, scaffolding, affect validation, total score of the part where the mother has an active role. No significant statistical differences for the father. Discussion: these results underline a significant association between the internal working model of the mother and her ways to interact and manage the relation with her adolescent son; this is a clinical evidence too. Another relevant result is the association between adolescent‘s psychopathology and his internal working model.