Levels Of Attachment Security Research Articles

Racism, Attachment Styles, and Mental Health among Asian American Adolescents

Theory suggests that a secure base can moderate the effects of racism on mental health outcomes among people of Color (Mikulincer & Shaver, 2022). Thus, the current study tested this hypothesis with a sample of 301 Asian American adolescents who completed a 25-minute online survey. Two hierarchical multiple regression models examined whether secure, anxious, and avoidant attachment with mothers and fathers moderated the link between racism and mental health. We found that when Asian American adolescents reported frequent experiences of racism, secure attachment with fathers was not enough to mitigate the effects of racism. Specifically, simple slopes indicated that at high and moderate levels of secure attachment with fathers, adolescents reported slightly better mental health with few racism experiences but indicated a slight decrease in mental health with frequent racism experiences. Findings highlight the importance of dismantling racial discrimination to support Asian American adolescents’ mental health.

Relationship-induced self-concept change and the malleability of attachment security

Romantic relationships have the potential to shape individuals’ self-concepts for better or worse. Because these changes to the self have the potential to modify working models of self and other, they may also be associated with individuals’ levels of attachment security. The current research sought to examine whether relationship-induced self-concept improvement and degradation is associated with attachment security. Across three correlational studies (Studies 1a-1c; overall N = 579) and one experiment (Study 2; N = 196), we found that relationship-induced concept improvement (vs. degradation) is associated with greater state attachment security and lower state attachment avoidance (but not state anxiety). Further, state attachment security and avoidance mediated the association between overall self-concept improvement and relationship quality. Overall, relationship-induced changes to the self-concept appear to modify attachment systems, which cultivate relationship quality.

The Association Between Companion Animal Attachment and Depression: A Systematic Review

ABSTRACT There is significant literature related to companion animal attachment and depression, but to date, there has not been a systematic review of it. The aims of this systematic review were threefold: (1) to compare depression outcomes between pet and non-pet owners; (2) to identify the prevalence of how attachment is operationalized within the human–pet relationships literature, as it is defined in two distinct, divergent ways: as an attachment bond or as an attachment orientation; and (3) to review and synthesize the existing literature related to the association between pet attachment and depression. A search of five databases (Pubmed, Medline, Web of Science, Embase, and PsycInfo) was conducted in January 2024 to locate articles (journal articles, dissertations) focusing on pets, attachment, and depression or depressive symptoms that met predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. In total, 40 studies were included in the review. Eighteen studies compared depression outcomes in pet owners and non-pet owners; of these, 14 found no significant difference in depression between the two groups, while four found that pet owners were significantly less depressed than non-pet owners. Most studies measuring attachment bond revealed a positive or non-significant relationship with depression, while the majority of studies measuring attachment orientation indicate that higher levels of secure attachment are negatively associated with depression, while higher levels of attachment insecurity are typically positively associated with depression. We conclude that the field needs more clarification regarding the definition of attachment so that meaningful conclusions regarding the impact of pet attachment on mental health can be drawn.

Classification et représentations d'attachement et comportements intériorisés et extériorisés des enfants de la protection de l'enfance

IntroductionChildren who have experienced potentially traumatic situations within their first attachment relationships (e.g., abuse, neglect) are more at risk of presenting attachment insecurity and disorganization as well as insecure attachment representations. These children would also be more at risk of developing internalized (e.g., anxiety, depression) and externalized behaviors (e.g., aggressivity, opposition). ObjectivesThe study aims to provide a portrait of attachment classification and representations and internalized and externalized behaviors in children aged 7 to 12 from three groups: 35 maltreated children, 42 children from a clinical group, and 39 children from a normative group. The study also aims to evaluate associations between attachment and internalized and externalized behaviors and to detect predictors of internalized and externalized behaviors amongst attachment-related variables. MethodParticipants took part in The Attachment Story Completion Task (ASCT) and a semi-structured interview, the Child Attachment Interview (CAI). Caregivers completed the Child behaviour Checklist to assess internalized and externalized behaviors. ResultsResults show lower levels of attachment security as well as higher levels of insecure attachment representations and internalized and externalized behaviors in maltreated children. Only disorganized attachment was found to be associated with internalized and externalized behaviors. The ASCT could not differentiate the groups and showed little association with internalized and externalized behaviors. ConclusionDisorganized attachment is mainly associated with maltreatment and internalized and externalized behaviors, contrary to ASCT variables, thus generating questions regarding this tool's suitability for school-aged children.

Not Twisted, Just Kinky: Replication and Structural Invariance of Attachment, Personality, and Well-Being Among BDSM Practitioners

ABSTRACT BDSM is a range of diverse sexual practices. Stigma regarding BDSM is associated with dysfunctional personalities, insecure attachment styles, or damaged well-being. Previous studies have shown contrary evidence to these views. However, the replicability of these findings remains understudied. This study conducts a close replication to examine personality, attachment, rejection sensitivity, and well-being differences between BDSM practitioners and non-practitioners. To address previous limitations, this study provides a highly powered sample of a new population (Spanish, N = 1,907), assessing effect sizes and the impact of LGTBIQA+ individuals and employing an alternative BDSM role classification. Additionally, we examined attachment styles, personality, and well-being differences among BDSM practitioners. As predicted, BDSM practitioners showed higher levels of secure attachment, conscientiousness, openness, and well-being while also lower levels of insecure attachments, rejection sensitivity, neuroticism, and agreeableness, countering the stigma. Gender, sexual orientations, and experience with BDSM showed explanatory potential. The associations between attachment, personality, and well-being were consistent across both BDSM practitioners and non-practitioners, as well as across various BDSM roles. BDSM practitioners share the same psychological structure as non-practitioners but also show more functional profiles. Thus, de-stigmatizing BDSM populations is reinforced and recommended. Limitations and implications for applied and research audiences are discussed.

Family Accommodation and Separation Anxiety: The Moderating Role of Child Attachment.

Family accommodation, or changes in parental behavior aimed at avoiding or alleviating child anxiety-related distress, contributes to the severity of anxiety symptoms, and is most strongly associated with separation anxiety. This study examined whether child attachment security, characterized as the degree to which children perceive their parents to be reliable, available, and communicative, moderates the association between family accommodation and separation anxiety symptoms, and whether this moderation is specific to separation anxiety among other anxiety symptoms. In a sample of clinically anxious children (N = 243, 6-12years), family accommodation was significantly positively associated with separation anxiety symptoms across levels of attachment security. Family accommodation was more strongly associated with parent-reported separation anxiety symptoms in children with lower attachment security compared with those with higher attachment security. No significant moderation effect emerged for other anxiety symptoms. Findings enhance understanding of the role of attachment within family accommodation of child anxiety.

The Placement of Children in Need of Out-of-Home Care: Forms of Care and Differences in Attachment Security and Behavioral Problems in the Italian Context

The current paper investigated differences in secure attachment levels and behavioral problems among four groups of children in out-of-home care in Italy: closed adoption (child and birth parents not in contact following adoption), open adoption (child and birth parents still in contact after placement), foster care (child living temporarily with relatives or unrelated foster parents) and institutional care (child in residential care for large groups of children). One hundred and thirty children aged 10–19 were included in this study. The Attachment Interview for Childhood and Adolescence and the Achenbach Youth Self-Report were employed to measure participants’ secure attachment levels and behavioral problems. Both a multivariate analysis of covariance and measured variable path analysis were performed. Age, gender and time elapsed between the request for child protection and placement on out-of-home care were used as covariates. The results showed that adolescents in closed adoption had higher secure attachment scores than those in foster care and institutional care, while adolescents in open adoption scored significantly higher on problem behaviors than those in the other out-of-home care groups. Findings were discussed in terms of limitations and implications for future research.

Attachment representations in 7-year-old children at familial high risk of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder: Associations with mental disorders and daily functioning: The Danish High Risk and Resilience Study, VIA 7-A population-based cohort study.

Attachment quality may affect psychological functioning. However, evidence on attachment representations and their correlates in children born to parents with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder is sparse. We compared attachment representations in a Danish sample of 482 children aged 7 years at familial high risk of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and population-based controls and examined associations between attachment and mental disorders and daily functioning. Attachment representations were examined with the Story Stem Assessment Profile (SSAP). Mental disorders were ascertained in diagnostic interviews. Daily functioning was assessed with the Children's Global Assessment Scale. We found no between-group differences in attachment. Higher levels of secure attachment were associated with decreased risk of concurrent mental disorders in the schizophrenia high-risk group. Higher levels of insecure and disorganized attachment were associated with increased risk of mental disorders across the cohort. Higher levels of secure and insecure attachment were associated with better and poorer daily functioning, respectively. In the current study, results regarding defensive avoidance could not be reported due to methodological limitations. Familial high risk of schizophrenia (FHR-SZ) or bipolar disorder is not associated with less secure or more insecure attachment at age 7. Insecure and disorganized attachment representations index risk of mental disorders and poorer functioning. Secure attachment may be a protective factor against mental disorders in children at FHR-SZ. Validation of the SSAP is needed.

When Staying Home Is Not Safe: An Investigation of the Role of Attachment Style on Stress and Intimate Partner Violence in the Time of COVID-19.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major public health concern, with increasing rates of IPV being seen around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous research has linked the perpetration of IPV and other forms of sexual violence to aspects of romantic attachment psychology, with insecure anxious/preoccupied attachment most often linked to higher rates of IPV. Stressful events typically activate the attachment system and may either aggravate or disrupt its regulatory functioning. In the present study, we investigated whether COVID-related PTSD and depressive symptoms were associated with increased IPV perpetration and whether this relationship was moderated by levels of attachment security. Our findings indicated that higher COVID-related PTSD was significantly associated with increased IPV perpetration in securely attached individuals, whereas depressive symptoms was significantly associated with decreased IPV perpetration in securely attached individuals. IPV perpetration by insecure individuals was consistently high regardless of COVID-related PTSD or depressive symptoms. These findings suggest that COVID-related PTSD may erode adaptive attachment functioning, particularly among the previously secure, which can have important consequences for secure individuals and their intimate partners. The present findings may explain some of the recent increase in IPV cases worldwide and serve to raise awareness and motivate clinical interventions to more efficiently help both victims and perpetrators of IPV stay safe while staying home.

Parental Attachment and Satisfaction With Social Life: The Mediating Role of Gelotophobia.

The aim of the present study was to investigate how gelotophobia is related to secure parental attachment, the degree of satisfaction with social life and coping strategies in a non-clinical sample of young Spanish adults. the sample consisted of 306 young Spanish adults (M= 21.4 years; SD= 2.27; 67.6% women). The relationships between the study variables were analysed and a mediation model was tested in which gelotophobia (M) mediated the relationship between secure parental attachment (IV) and the level of satisfaction with social life (DV). a satisfactory social life was related with low levels of gelotophobia and high levels of secure attachment to the father, as well as with the use of positive coping strategies of control and social support. Secure attachment to the father was positively associated with coping strategies focused on seeking social support and negatively associated with gelotophobia. High levels of secure attachment to the father are related to higher life satisfaction mediated by low levels of gelotophobia.

Parental Acceptance/Rejection Perceptions and Attachment Styles of Men With Online Gambling Disorder.

Online gambling disorder has recently emerged as a significant public health issue. Family dynamics play an important role in the development of online gambling disorder. In this research, the aimed to compare the parental acceptance/rejection and attachment styles of individuals with online gambling disorder with a healthy control group. Also, the relationship between parental acceptance/rejection and attachment styles was examined in individuals with online gambling disorder. The study group consisted of 53 male patients with online gambling disorder and 57 healthy controls. The individuals with online gambling disorder perceived more rejection from mothers but especially from fathers than the individuals in the control group. Paternal hostility/aggression and indifference/neglect are determinants of online gambling behavior. The individuals with online gambling disorder had lower levels of secure attachment and higher levels of dismissive and fearful attachment than the individuals in the control group. Both secure attachment style and dismissive attachment style are thought to be determinants of gambling behavior. Mother-father rejection and insecure attachment are important in terms of creating risk for online gambling. Assessment of the effects of maternal and especially paternal rejection in online gambling disorder will be beneficial within the scope of preventive mental health.

Attachment security, divorce, parental estrangement, and reconciliation

While most studies have attempted to identify the causes and consequences of adult children’s estrangement from their parents, this study focuses on a relatively unexplored topic -- factors associated with family relationships in which the adult child and parents reconcile after a period of estrangement. An online survey of 1360 parents who had experienced an estrangement from their adult child provided data concerning three constructs: (a) whether the parents were now still married, remarried, or divorced, (b) secure attachment ratings of self, other parent, and child, from the perspective of the responding parent, and (c) whether the estrangement was continuing or there had been a reconciliation. Parents who were still married described all family members as having a more secure model of attachment than did remarried or divorced parents. Also, continuous ratings of security of attachment by parents in families that had resolved the estrangement were higher than ratings by parents in which the estrangement was continuing. Two exploratory path models tested alternative hypotheses about how marital status and perceived security of attachment combined to differentiate between families in which the adult child reconciled, and families in which the adult child remained estranged. Model A did not find an indirect path leading from attachment security to marital status to reconciliation. Model B found a statistically significant indirect path leading from parents remaining married to higher levels of attachment security in their ratings of family members, to reconciliation rather than continued estrangement of the parent–child relationship. With data obtained at a single point in time, this study represents a first step toward exploring continuity or discontinuity in the relationship between the parents and between the parents and their adult child. Directions for further research and implications for clinical intervention to promote reconciliation are discussed.

Interpersonal Patterns in Social Anxiety Disorder: Predictors and Outcomes of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Given the strong associations of social anxiety disorder (SAD) with interpersonal problems and insecure attachment, this study sought to examine specific interpersonal problem domains in relation to the outcome of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for SAD. Ninety-five adults with SAD received individual CBT and completed a measure of attachment style at pretreatment, as well as measures of interpersonal problems and social anxiety at pre- and posttreatment. At baseline, social anxiety was significantly associated with overall interpersonal problems, multiple specific interpersonal problems, as well as insecure attachment. Interpersonal problems decreased significantly over the course of treatment but did not predict a reduction in social anxiety. No specific interpersonal problem predicted changes in social anxiety. The greatest changes from pre- to posttreatment were observed across avoidance-related interpersonal problems. Higher levels of secure attachment predicted lower social anxiety, but individuals with less secure attachment experienced a greater reduction in social anxiety from pre- to posttreatment. However, this interaction was significant for only one of three measures of social anxiety. Our findings suggest that although higher levels of interpersonal problems and lower levels of secure attachment predict greater social anxiety, interpersonal problems and insecure attachment do not predict poorer treatment outcome.

Emotionally Stable, Extraverted, Conscientious, and Unambivalent: Iranian Women Successfully Navigating Divorce Adjustment

The aim of the present study was to explore the extent to which the combination of the Big Five personality traits and adult attachment styles are associated with a broad array of divorce adjustment (DA) indicators. A total of 200 Iranian divorced women took part in the study. Participants completed a series of self-rating questionnaires covering socio-demographic, the Big Five, adult attachment styles, and indicators of DA. The results showed that higher levels of the Big Five (with neuroticism reverse-coded) were collectively associated with higher levels of feeling of self-worth (FSW), disentanglement of love relationships (DLR), social self-worth (SSW), rebuilding of social trust (RST), lower levels of symptoms of grief (SOG), and feelings of self-anger (FSA). Higher levels of secure attachment (and lower levels of ambivalent attachment) were associated with higher levels of FSW, DLR, RST, and lower levels of SOG, and FSA. The role of Iranian culture on post-DA is discussed.

Attachment and Wellness Among Latinx Immigrants: Meaning in Life, Belonging, and Hope as Mediators

This study examined a conceptual model depicting the direct and indirect relationships between attachment insecurity, state hope, belongingness, meaning in life (MIL), and three wellness indicators (i.e., life satisfaction, physical health, and depression) of first-generation Latinx immigrants in the United States. Results of structural equation modeling analysis showed adequate model fit with the data from a sample of 288 individuals. The final model indicated that the link between comfort-seeking attachment and wellness was fully mediated by hope, belongingness, and MIL; the relation between anxious-distancing attachment and wellness was fully mediated by belongingness and MIL but not hope. Specifically, participants with high levels of attachment security reported greater wellness via experiencing a stronger sense of belonging, state hope, and MIL. We discuss future directions and implications for counseling and theory from an attachment theory, positive psychology, and immigration perspective.

The impact of thinking about supportive relationships on interpersonal defensiveness. Does it matter who thinks, about whom, and in what way?

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to test the effects of thinking about supportive relationships on interpersonal defensiveness among participants with different levels of attachment security. The effects were examined depending on closeness with a visualized person and an ecosystem or egosystem perspective of thinking about him/her.Participants and procedureAfter taking the bogus emotional intelligence test and completing the attachment questionnaire, the participants (N = 124) visual-ized an acquaintance or a close person, adopting the ecosystem or the egosystem perspective on thinking about him/her. Subse-quently the participants received unfavorable feedback on their bogus test results and completed measures of defensiveness in an anticipated conversation with the researcher.ResultsThe high-securely attached individuals reported less comfort in an anticipated conversation with the researcher after close well-wishing person visualization than after well-wishing acquaintance visualization. The low-securely attached participants showed greater emotional openness to the researcher after ecosystem thinking about any well-wishing person than after egosystem thinking.ConclusionsThe key results suggest that some aspects of interpersonal defensiveness among insecurely attached people can be reduced by a shift from an ego- to an ecosystem perspective of thinking about their relationships. In the next research step, it seems espe-cially important to explore whether therapeutic work focusing on ecosystem orientation can overcome the attachment problems in relationships.

Sustained effects on attachment security in middle childhood: results from a randomized clinical trial of the Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC) intervention.

Interventions have been developed to promote the development of secure and organized attachments during early childhood among children who have experienced early adversity, yet little is known about whether the effects of these early interventions are sustained beyond 12months postintervention. The current study examined whether receiving the Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-Up (ABC) intervention during infancy led to improvements in perceived attachment security in middle childhood among 100 Child Protective Services (CPS)-referred children. Children and parents were randomized to receive ABC or a control intervention during infancy. Children completed the Kerns Security Scale at age nine (Mage =9.46, SD=0.36). (Trial Registry Name: Intervening Early with Neglected Children; Registry ID: NCT02093052; URL for registry: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02093052?term=dozier&rank=1). Children whose parents received ABC reported higher levels of attachment security on the Kerns Security Scale at age nine than children whose parents had received the control intervention, t(98)=2.31, p=.023, d=0.49. Findings underscore the long-term benefits of intervening early to promote caregiving quality among at-risk families and demonstrate the efficacy of a brief 10-session intervention in promoting attachment security over the span of eight years in a sample of CPS-referred children.

Anxiety comorbidities in patients with major depressive disorder: the role of attachment

Objectives: Attachment connects mood expressions and is related to the psychopathology of depression and anxiety. However, whether insecure attachment can predict the risk of an increased number of anxiety comorbidities in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) remains unclear.Methods: Sixty-six patients with MDD were recruited in this cross-sectional study. Depression, anxiety and insecure attachment among patients were assessed accordingly. Patients’ disease characteristics and psychopathology were evaluated using a structured psychiatric MINI interview, the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and the 21-item Beck Anxiety Inventory, while the attachment was assessed with the Chinese self-reporting version of the Attachment Style Questionnaire.Results: We found that 74.2% of MDD patients had at least one anxiety comorbidity, and 24.2% of MDD patients had multiple anxiety comorbidities. Common anxiety comorbidities included generalised anxiety disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The patients who had multiple anxiety comorbidities exhibited lower secure attachment levels and higher anxious/preoccupied and avoidant attachment levels.Conclusions: Anxious/preoccupied attachment is associated with an increased risk of multiple anxiety comorbidities in MDD patients. A longitudinal study with a larger sample size is needed to identify the causal relationship of anxious/preoccupied attachment and anxiety comorbidities during the course of MDD.

Attachment, dependency, and attachment-related behaviors in foster children: A closer look at the nature of the foster child–caregiver relationship

There is evidence that within the first year in the foster home, children are capable of forming secure attachment comparable to normative samples. However, less is known about the nature of these newly formed relationships and it has been claimed that they may serve different developmental functions as those to primary caregivers formed in the first year of life. The current study aimed to address this void by applying a behavioral system approach. The sample consisted of 46 children (aged 3–6), 16 of which were currently placed in foster care. Attachment security and dependency were assessed during a home visit using the Attachment Q-Sort. Furthermore, activation of several attachment-related behavioral systems was assessed during a stranger approach in a standardized laboratory setting. Compared to the control group, foster children showed equal levels of attachment security but highly increased dependency scores. Also, during the stranger approach, they showed increased attachment behaviors toward their foster mothers and, at the same time, increased looking behavior toward the stranger. The study points out the relevance of taking into account various attachment-related constructs when investigating formations to new attachment figures in out of home care. It further claims that increased dependency and proximity-seeking scores in foster children are characteristic of the newly formed relationship and a possible indicator of foster children’s adaption. Moreover, this behavior may even be highly beneficial to foster children’s socio-emotional development as it possibly serves important developmental functions.

Social support, attachment and externalizing behavior in forensic patients with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

This study was designed to provide more insight into the relationship between social support and externalizing behavior in forensic patients with ADHD. Because ADHD is highly associated with psychosocial impairment, we expected poor social support and attachment insecurity (i.e., preoccupied, fearful, and dismissive attachment) to be associated with higher levels of externalizing behaviors in forensic patients with ADHD. Self-reports of 32 forensic male outpatients with ADHD (M age = 35.34) were compared with self-reports of healthy (n = 32; M age = 33.84), and ‘at risk’ control males with (a history of) psychological problems (n = 30; M age = 36.47) from the general population. In addition, associations between social support, attachment and externalizing behaviors (i.e., aggression, antisociality, anger and hostility) were examined within the sample as a whole. Analyses of variance showed that forensic patients with ADHD had higher levels of externalizing behaviors and insecure attachment, and lower levels of secure attachment compared to both healthy and at risk controls. Multivariate regression analyses showed that social support was not associated with any of the externalizing behaviors, after accounting for attachment. In contrast, insecure attachment was associated with higher levels of all externalizing behaviors examined. Finally, insecure attachment best explained antisociality and hostility, suggesting that attachment is more important than other psychopathological risk factors that distinguish the different groups.