Work

Children’s Narratives of Sad Events: Attachment Security and Psychopathological Symptoms

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: This study aims to explore how children's experiences of sadness are related to their coping strategies, attachment, and psychopathology. METHOD: A sample of 517 children described a sad event and related coping strategies. Events included bullying/quarrelling, frustration, accidents/illness, experienced/anticipated separation, and loss. Coping strategies included constructive coping, disengagement, and absence-of-coping. RESULTS: Constructive coping was associated with secure attachment. Secure children used constructive and disengagement strategies for frustration, constructive coping particularly for bullying situations, and absence-of-coping for loss. Children reporting absence-of-coping during episodes of frustration exhibited more externalizing symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The results highlight relationships between circumstancialdimensions and specific emotional experiences, and the importance of context-specific coping strategies in promoting emotional well-being.

Source: Psicothema

DOI: 10.70478/psicothema.2025.37.16

Authors: Edoardo Saija, Susanna Pallini, Roberto Baiocco, Salvatore Ioverno

Institution: Roma Tre University

Language: English

Topic: Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development

Subfield: Clinical Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $229