Adversity and imagery: a developmental psychopathology lens

Critical Review of the Literature
Attachment Patterns and Autobiographical Episodic Memory Functioning: A Systemic Review of Adult Studies to Advance Clinical Psychological Science
Patterns of insecure attachment are associated with psychopathology but the mechanisms involved remain poorly understood. Cognitive science proposes that attachment patterns are influenced by the autobiographical memory system and in turn influence its ongoing functioning. Disturbances in autobiographical memory represent cognitive risks for later emotional difficulties. We systemically reviewed 32 studies (in 27 articles) examining the association between attachment patterns and autobiographical episodic memory (AEM) in individuals from the age of 16 (i.e., from young to older adulthood). Attachment patterns were associated with key areas of AEM phenomenology, including intensity and arousal; detail, specificity, and vividness; coherence and fragmentation; and accuracy and latency. These associations appeared to be moderated by contextual and individual factors; mediated by emotional regulation and schema-based processing; linked to mental health outcomes. Attachment patterns may also influence the impact of certain AEM-based manipulations. We conclude by providing critical discussion and a research agenda for bringing together attachment, memory, and emotion, with a view to promote mechanism-driven treatment innovation in clinical psychology.
Service Improvement Project
Assessment of Digital Risks in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: A Mixed-Method, Theory-Driven Study of Clinicians’ Experiences and Perspectives
Children and adolescents in the UK spend increasingly more time in the digital world, raising societal fears about digital risks in this age group. Professionals are not always aware of the ever-developing research or guidance available around digital safety. This gap underscores the need to understand current experiences and determinants of digital risk assessment, including clinicians’ views on barriers and facilitators. A mixed-method design was used. Fifty-three clinicians working in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) in South England took part in a survey; of these 12 took part in semi-structured interviews. A psychological model of behavioural change (COM-B: capabilities, opportunities, motivation, and behaviour) guided the analyses. Survey data revealed that clinicians showed awareness and concerns for several digital risk issues but there appeared to be gaps in their knowledge and practice. Interview data revealed different factors influencing staff enquiry about digital risks in CAMHS. These included aspects of capabilities (knowledge and skills), opportunities (resources, organisational context, and empowerment of youth), and motivations (habit change, emotional experiences, and professional identity/role). Targeting both staff-level and organisation-level barriers to digital risk assessments in CAMHS is crucial. This study informs service improvement to ensure that children and young people safely navigate the digital world.
Main Research Project
Specificity of Episodic Future Thinking in Adolescents: Comparing Autism Spectrum, Childhood Maltreatment, and Typical Development
Autism and maltreatment are associated with seemingly overlapping difficulties across functional domains (e.g., social, emotional, and sensory) as well as high rates of psychiatric problems. A cognitive approach focussing on affect-laden cognition, such as episodic future thinking (FT), may inform the differentiation of these developmental differences and treatment innovations in mental health in these presentations. Three groups of adolescents aged 10-16 completed a newly adapted Autobiographical Future Thinking Test in an online written format. The groups were i) autism, ii) maltreatment, and iii) typical development (TD), matched in age, sex, and socioeconomic status. The maltreatment group generated fewer specific future events relative to the TD group, while FT specificity in the autism group did not significantly differ from the other groups. Lower FT specificity was associated with more depressive (but not anxiety symptoms), particularly in the autism group. Overall, these findings shed light on the cognitive profiles of both autism and maltreatment and indicate potential novel intervention targets for mental health. Our study also lays the foundation for future studies comparing these two development presentations with improved designs and a broader set of cognitive and clinical domains.

Keywords: autobiographical memory
future thinking
attachment
digital risk
mental imagery
maltreatment
behaviour change
autism
Advisor: Steel, C
Williams, F
Anderson, C
Cooper, M