Attachment Style and Mental Health: A 1-Year Follow-Up Study of Mothers of Infants with Congenital Heart Disease

The longitudinal contribution of attachment style to mental health was examined among mothers of infants with Congenital Heart Disease (CHD). Eighty-five mothers of newborns with CHD completed self-report scales tapping attachment style, appraisal of motherhood, ways of coping with motherhood tasks, and mental health 2 weeks after the infant’s CHD diagnosis and 1 year later. Mothers’ attachment anxiety and avoidance at Time 1 were related to poor mental health at the same point of time. In addition, attachment avoidance at Time 1 predicted further deterioration of mental health from Time 1 to Time 2. Attachment style at Time 1 also predicted the ways mothers appraised and coped with motherhood tasks, which, in turn, were related to mental health changes. The theoretical implications of the data were discussed.