Toddler disorganized attachment in relation to cortical thickness and socioemotional problems in late childhood

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Type
Article
Citation
Arya, B., Patrick, M., Pei, H., Law, E., Broekman, B., Chen, H., Chan, M. H. G., Yap, F., Lee, Y. S., Tan, K. H., Chong, Y.-S., Qiu, A., Fortier, M. V., Gluckman, P., Meaney, M., Tan, A. P., & Rifkin-Graboi, A. (2024). Toddler disorganized attachment in relation to cortical thickness and socioemotional problems in late childhood. Attachment & Human Development. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616734.2024.2404591
Author
Arya, Bhavya
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Patrick, Madeline
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Pei, Huang
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Law, Evelyn
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Broekman, Birit F. P.
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Chen, Helen
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Chan, Madeline Hiu Gwan
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Yap, Fabian
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Lee, Yung Seng
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Tan, Kok Hian
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Chong, Yap Seng
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Qiu, Anqi
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Fortier, Marielle V.
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Gluckman, Peter D.
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Meaney, Michael J.
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Tan, Ai Peng
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Rifkin-Graboi, Anne 
Abstract
Disorganized attachment is a risk for mental health problems, with increasing work focused on understanding biological mechanisms. Examining late childhood brain morphology may be informative – this stage coincides with the onset of many mental health problems. Past late childhood research reveals promising candidates, including frontal lobe cortical thickness and hippocampal volume. However, work has been limited to Western samples and has not investigated mediation or moderation by brain morphology. Furthermore, past cortical thickness research included only 33 participants. The current study utilized data from 166 children from the GUSTO Asian cohort, who participated in strange situations at 18 months and MRI brain imaging at 10.5 years, with 124 administered the Child Behaviour Checklist at 10.5 years. Results demonstrated disorganization liked to internalizing problems, but no mediation or moderation by brain morphology. The association to internalizing (but not externalizing) problems is discussed with reference to the comparatively higher prevalence of internalizing problems in Singapore.
Keywords
Date Issued
2024
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Journal
Attachment & Human Development
DOI
10.1080/14616734.2024.2404591
Grant ID
OF-LCG; MOH-000504
Funding Agency
National Research Foundation, Singapore