ORIGINAL ARTICLE Unique and Shared Aspects of Affective Symptomatology: The Role of Parental Bonding in Depression and Anxiety Symptom Profiles Tiffany M. Meites • Rick E. Ingram • Greg J. Siegle Published online: 22 December 2011 Ó Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2011 Abstract Prior research has found an association between parental bonding and depression and anxiety. Specifically, low levels of care and high levels of over- protection have been associated with increased risk for developing depression and anxiety. However little research has explored the relationship between factors of parental bonding and specific aspects of depression and anxiety. The present study investigated these relationships in a sample of undergraduate students (n = 680) who reported a range of affective symptomatology. Lower levels of maternal care were associated with negative beliefs about the self, negative interactions with others and fatigue; lower levels of maternal and paternal care were associated with generalized fear. Maternal overprotection was asso- ciated with physical symptoms of anxiety and a fear of dying, whereas paternal overprotection was a significant predictor of negative beliefs about the self and difficulty maintaining steadiness when anxious. These findings highlight the importance of understanding the role of par- enting in the development of vulnerability to affective symptomatology. Keywords Depression Á Anxiety Á Bonding Á Parenting Á Attachment Á Cognitive vulnerability Introduction An extensive body of theory and research has suggested that early life stressors may play a critical role in creating cognitive vulnerability to anxiety and depression (Petchel and Pizzagalli 2011). For example, Beck’s original cogni- tive model of depression highlighted the importance of developmentally based cognitive factors in depression (1967). The theory stated that, ‘‘In childhood and adoles- cence, the depression-prone individual becomes sensitized to certain types of life situations…when a person is sub- jected to situations reminiscent of the original traumatic experiences, he may then become depressed (p. 278; Beck 1967). A wealth of empirical data have supported this idea for depression (see Ingram et al. 2011 for review). Like- wise, theory and data suggest that early negative life events contribute to the development of vulnerability to anxiety disorders in adulthood (Malcarne et al. 2010). It appears clear that childhood adversity plays a critical role in the development of depression and anxiety. Parental bonding processes are associated with child- hood adversity and are broadly linked to ideas about attachment processes. Although a number of parenting behaviors can affect bonding, the core features of parental bonding are frequently conceptualized as the multidimen- sional constructs of care (warmth and nurturance) and protection (an appropriate level of concern for safety and security). Adequate bonding with key caregivers along the lines of care and protection is assumed to provide the necessary psychological foundation for healthy functioning in adulthood. Conversely, disrupted parental bonding, often defined as lower levels of care (rejection and neglect) and overprotection (controlling and intrusive behaviors), has been linked with the development of psychopathology (Enns et al. 2002). In particular, deficits in parental T. M. Meites Á R. E. Ingram (&) Department of Psychology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA e-mail: reingram@ku.edu T. M. Meites e-mail: tmeites@ku.edu G. J. Siegle University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA e-mail: gsiegle@pitt.edu 123 Cogn Ther Res (2012) 36:173–181 DOI 10.1007/s10608-011-9426-3