Association Between Parental Attachment and Socioemotional Development in children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review (2014–2024)

Gallardo-Ramírez J.N.; Velásquez-Yupanqui J.M.; Trujillo-Delgado Z.; Montes-Meza V.; Ponte-Poma J.; Córdova-Pérez G. · Universitas Psychologica (2026) · DOI: 10.11144/javeriana.upsy25.aapd

Resumen

The aim is to synthesize recent scientific evidence on the relationship between parental attachment and socio-emotional development in children and adolescents, taking into account differences based on developmental stage, parental figure, and family context. A systematic review of the literature was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 statement. Empirical studies published between 2014 and 2024 that used a quantitative, qualitative, or observational approach and evaluated the association between parental attachment and emotional development in children and adolescents were included. The search was conducted in specialized international databases, using controlled terms and combining them with Boolean operators. The synthesized evidence indicates that secure parental attachment is consistently associated with better emotional regulation, psychological well-being, social competence, and psychosocial adjustment, whereas insecure attachment is linked to a higher risk of internalizing and externalizing problems. Likewise, relevant variations were identified by stage of development, parental figure evaluated, and measurement approach. The findings confirm the central role of parental attachment in socioemotional development and highlight its dynamic, context-dependent nature, with theoretical, methodological, and applied implications for research and family interventions.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional del Santa