This dissertation examined certain distal and proximal relational factors and emotional capabilities of individuals in therapeutic programs in Greece. The three studies aimed to extend existing work by examining links between distal (child abuse reports) and proximal (adult attachment, social support) relation factors with psychological health outcomes of substance users in addiction treatment programs. The results from the three studies supported the view that: a) distal (childhood maltreatment) and proximal (attachment organization) relational factors are important predictors of substance users’ well-being; b) proximal factors (anxious attachment) mediate effects of abusive experiences; c) emotional capabilities and specifically regulatory processes have a prominent role as mediators of relational factors on substance users’ well-being.

Study One: Study one aimed to understand the perceptions and attributions of LAC fixed term excluded (FTE) from school on multiple occasions. This was carried out with reference to resilience, and an understanding of the possible protective and risk factors were also sought. Concepts of resilience (Prince-Embury, 2008; Gilligan, 2009) and attribution theory (Heider, 1958) provided a broad theoretical framework for the research. Methods: The study followed a mixed method design (carried out simultaneously). One aspect involved semi-structured interviews being undertaken using interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) (Smith & Osborn, 2007; 2008) in attempting to generate understanding of the thoughts and feelings of LAC going through the process of being FTE. The second aspect involved the resilience of the LAC being psychometrically measured using the Resilience Scales for Children and Adolescents (RSCA) as a way of validating and contextualising data deriving from the interviews. Results: Teachers acting as confidants and providing emotional containment appeared to significantly enhance resilience. Opportunities for dialogue and a focus on aspects to be developed in a supportive and positive manner was also important. The majority of the LAC had an external locus of control, appearing to serve them adaptively, allowing them to alleviate negative emotions relating to their behaviour. FTEs generally were causally attributed as stable and global, appearing to derive from entrenched thoughts, feelings and behaviours. The process of FTE appeared to compromise aspects of resilience as well as little positive effect being found in terms of learning and development. Study Two: Study two aimed to understand how teachers perceived the LAC participating in study one, and providing comparison with perceptions of the LAC of aspects such as FTEs. The study also sought to provide an understanding as to the causal attributions made by teachers related to LAC. Specifically, how these attributions affected their thoughts, feelings (Weiner, 1985) and practice relating to LAC. Methods: The study followed a mixed method design (carried out sequentially). A survey (SDQ) was used to provide the sample of teachers. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with eight teachers, using IPA as the method of analysis. The Modified Attribution Questionnaire with integrated vignettes was also undertaken by teachers to elicit more stable attributions relating to LAC. Results: Data deriving from interviews found support for Weiner’s (1985) cognitive-emotional-action model. Attributions of high controllability and locus increased teachers’ feelings of anger and frustration relating to the causes of the LAC’s behaviour. Empathy towards the LAC was affected by; collaboration with colleagues and professionals, understanding the needs of the child, ethos of the school, a child centred approach and the LAC’s behaviour deriving from their care background. Further key findings are discussed from a theoretical perspective with implications for practice proposed.

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of separation-individuation during late adolescence and obstacles to career decision making.

The purpose of this study was to examine the idea that a late adolescent's career exploration activities may be influenced by levels of attachment to and psychological separation from family, family health, and family structure. It was proposed that higher levels of self and environmental exploration would be associated with positive family relationships and adequate levels of psychological separation and attachment. Cognitive and demographic variables were included as control measures. Measures of family health, attachment, separation, family structure, career exploration, career decision making self efficacy, and beliefs in the usefulness of engaging in self and environmental exploration were administered to 304 undergraduates from intact families. Multiple regression analyses were employed to examine the contribution of the independent variables measuring family processes to the variability in the dependent variables of self and environmental exploration, after controlling for the variability associated with the control measures. The demographic variables were age, gender, class standing, and decision status about a major. Results indicated that the best predictors of career exploration in late adolescence were the cognitive variables. Beliefs in the usefulness of self exploration were the best predictor of self exploration, whereas career decision making self efficacy was the best predictor of environmental exploration. Measures of attachment and psychological separation were not substantially related to career exploration. A weak relationship between family structure and self exploration was found, however contrary to theoretical predictions, it suggested that problems in the parent child relationship may facilitate rather than inhibit this career development activity. Findings also suggested a relationship between variables of family processes and career decision making self efficacy. Future research might explore the idea that separation, attachment and family variables influence cognitive beliefs, which in turn effect career development. The demographic variables emerged as minimally important in predicting exploratory behavior. Results were discussed with regard to theory and research in career exploration.

The purpose of this study was to explore factors which are predictive of parenting stress for first-time parents. Based on attachment theory and empirical research, the factors investigated were the responsibility for child care and housework, the current and retrospective relationship with the family of origin, the change in emotions related to parenthood, the marital relationship, and attachment and individuation.

This study investigates (1) whether infants cared for by a single caregiver exhibit more attachment behaviors than do infants cared for by multiple caregivers and (2) whether sex differences are found in these behaviors. Twenty-six Black infants, nine to twenty-three months of age, in a day-care center, were observed during one brief low-stress separation from a caregiver. Data were taken using six indices of attachment: maintaining proximity, visual regard, touching, protesting, seeking proximity, and greeting. Where subjected to a two-way analysis of variance, the obtained results showed no significant differences in the effects of the two types of care. However, visual regard and greeting behaviors were observed significantly more frequently in females than in males.

This study examined associations between attachment styles, relational aggression and victimization, and sexual behavior in the context of romantic relationships during emerging adulthood. The sample included 306 college students attending an urban university in the southeastern United States. Multiple regression analyses indicated that individuals with dismissive and fearful attachment reported higher levels of relational aggression, and individuals with fearful and preoccupied attachment reported higher rates of relational victimization as compared to those with secure attachment. Neither relational aggression nor relational victimization accounted for a significant portion of the variance in sexual behaviors. However, significant three-way interactions were found that indicated dismissive and secure attachment style, as compared to other attachment styles, moderated associations between relational victimization and sexual behavior and that the strength of these relations differed by gender. These findings highlight the complexity of these interrelations and have important implications for prevention and intervention efforts.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention model designed to enhance practitioners’ biological lens when using a biopsychosocial-spiritual model of holistic assessment and planning. The specific intervention utilized is a course curriculum developed to broaden human service professionals’ (including clinical social work professionals) understanding of attachment theory, neuroscience and trauma informed methods of practice. The course teaches professionals how to apply this knowledge to clinical assessment and intervention planning with youth who have experienced significant trauma in their lives and exhibit problems of conduct. Using an experimental design, participants from a large private mental health organization were asked to evaluate the impact of curriculum on their 1) knowledge of attachment theory, trauma informed practice and neurobiology; 2) attitudes concerning the relevance of trauma-informed practice, the biological perspective and consequence focused models of intervention; and 3) assessment and intervention planning strategies. The curriculum focused its application on youth who have experienced significant levels of trauma and display conduct related behavior problems. Group differences for the workshop intervention group and waitlist control group are discussed. Additionally, a preliminary evaluation of differences between two different intervention groups (participants in the Distance Learning version of the course and the Workshop Seminar version of the course) was conducted.

For offenders returning to society at record levels, securing work looms as one of the most crucial factors in successful reentry. Work hope is a construct that seeks to measure the relative presence of goals of securing desired work, thoughts about how to achieve those goals, and agency to achieve those goals, even in the presence of obstacles. This study sought to examine relationships among work hope, the socioemotional variables of attachment, emotion regulation, physical, relational, and workplace victimization, and coping, and the career-related variables of perceptions of career-related barriers and complexity level of career goals. The sample comprised cohorts from eight different correctional centers (N = 111, 72.1% male, M = 37.97, SD = 10.02), who participated in three waves of a longitudinal study. Four path models were run to model the relationship among work hope and the socioemotional variables, but none of the models satisfied all designated fit indices. The model with the combination of the most adequate fit and theoretical support found significant direct effects from Time 1 anxious attachment, but not avoidant attachment, to Time 1 difficulties with emotion regulation. Significant direct effects were found from Time 1 avoidant attachment and difficulties with emotion regulation, but not anxious attachment, to Time 3 avoidant coping. Significant direct effects were also found from Time 3 avoidant coping to Time 3 work hope. Relational, physical, and workplace victimization were not significantly related to work hope or other socioemotional variables. This study also found that work hope was significantly related to perceptions of career-related barriers (r = -.30). Overall, study findings add to the construct validity of work hope and highlight the importance of addressing socioemotional variables such as attachment, emotion regulation, and coping in preparing offenders for successful reentry and obtaining work.

How accurately people perceive interpersonal relationships, both among others and with themselves, forms the basis of social inferences about the structure of the social environment and one's place in it. Six hypotheses were tested using the cognitive social structures method from social network analysis with five independent but similar student networks from two universities. Results from all networks were meta-analyzed. Participants gave both their self-reported friendship ratings for every alter in their group and also gave their perceptions of the ratings the other member would give. Perception ratings were correlated to self-report ratings for each participant as a measure of accuracy of social network perception. Participants perceived more structural balance than was present in self-reports in four out of five networks and in the meta-analysis, providing evidence for the balance schema. Attachment anxiety correlated negatively with accuracy for one of the networks but was not statistically significant in the meta-analysis. Being located in a tightly-knit subgroup reduced overall network accuracy, consistent with the strength of weak ties (SWT) theory, in one network but not in the meta-analysis. In only one network did participants overestimated how central they were, though not significantly in the meta-analysis. Being more central in the social network was unrelated to accuracy, as was the mean social network distance between perceiver and targets. Results provide meta-analytic support for the balance schema and limited support for attachment, SWT, and egocentric bias in social network perception.