Does parental compensation matter when we grow up? The relationship between childhood emotional neglect, attachment and depressive symptoms among Chinese young adults

Emotional neglect is a prevalent but often neglected phenomenon in Chinese culture. Based on attachment theory, childhood emotional neglect is a risk factor for insecure attachment and depressive symptoms. However, the specific effect of maternal and paternal emotional neglect on depressive symptoms is not clear yet, and few studies have examined whether parental compensation plays a protective role when we grow up. This study investigated the association between maternal/paternal emotional neglect and depressive symptoms, and explored the mediating role of insecure attachment and the moderating role of parental compensation. A total of 732 youth completed the measures on maternal/paternal emotional neglect, insecure adult attachment, parental compensation, and depressive symptoms. Results showed that maternal emotional neglect was a more robust predictor of depressive symptoms than paternal emotional neglect and showed a significant “unique effect”. In addition, attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance mediated the association between maternal emotional neglect and depressive symptoms. Parental compensation moderated the indirect relation between maternal emotional neglect and depressive symptoms via attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance. That is, parental compensation played a protective role for those who experienced maternal emotional neglect. This study highlights the connection, communication, understanding, and reconciliation between parents and young adults who have suffered from childhood emotional neglect, and the benefits of further interventions towards depressive symptoms.