Similar developmental logic can be applied to understanding the interpersonal antecedents of adult anxious-depressed symptoms. Poor early caregiving experiences may initiate a developmental pathway leading to negative working models of self and others, which in turn may impact interpersonal and cognitive vulnerabilities associated with anxious-depressed symptoms (e.g., excessive reassurance seeking, dependency, negatively biased social information processing) (Hammen, 1992; Haydon et al., online ahead of print). If these vulnerabilities surface in low-quality romantic relationships in adulthood, negative cognitions about the self and others may be reinforced, aggravating anxious-depressed symptoms over time (Coyne, 1976; Hammen, 1992). In contrast, someone whose poor early caregiving experiences put them at risk for elevated internalizing symptoms in adulthood may be buffered by a high-quality romantic relationship in adulthood. Likewise, positive early caregiving experiences may serve as an “inner resource” that can be used to overcome later difficulties, such as involvement in a low-quality romantic relationship (Bowlby, 1973, 1980; Mikulincer & Florian, 1998; Mikulincer, Shaver, & Pereg, 2003; Sroufe, Egeland, & Kreutzer, 1990).
