Role Of Adult Attachment Style Research Articles

Childhood maltreatment and late-life generalized anxiety disorder: Are personality and attachment characteristics mediators?

Childhood maltreatment and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) are related in adulthood. This association is not clear in the elderly. This work aims to investigate the role of adult attachment style and personality traits in the association between childhood maltreatment and late-life GAD. Our study sample consisted of 260 patients recruited into the Cerebral Aging Program of the city of Porto Alegre (Brazil) assessed between July 2015 and July 2016. A clinical interview using the Mini International Neuropsychiatry Interview 5.0 (DSM-5 criteria) yielded psychiatric diagnoses. Patients completed the childhood trauma questionnaire (CTQ) for maltreatment, the relationship scales questionnaire (RSQ) for adult attachment style and the Brazilian 60-item version of the NEO-Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) for personality characteristics. We aimed to examine, using sequential multimediation analysis, if attachment and personality traits style could be mediators between childhood maltreatment and GAD. 20% presented late-life GAD (n=52), 29% of whom had been maltreated. Neuroticism positively mediated and extraversion negatively mediated the relation between childhood maltreatment and late-life GAD. Attachment anxiety mediated this relation in a sequential way suggesting a path from childhood trauma through attachment and personality traits towards late-life GAD. The small sample and the retrospective and cross-sectional study design mean that causal conclusions must be interpreted with caution. Our results suggest a chronological path from childhood maltreatment to late-life GAD, passing through attachment anxiety predicting higher levels of neuroticism and lower levels of extraversion predicting late-life GAD.

Social Support and Depressive Symptoms in the Context of COVID-19 Lockdown: The Moderating Role of Attachment Styles.

Objectives: COVID-19 sanitary measures (social distancing, school closures) have deeply impacted social life, support networks, and their protective role in mental health. The present study aims to understand how attachment styles influence the way individuals experience social support. Particularly, investigating its moderating role in the relationship between social support and depression. Methods: An online survey was designed to clarify the role of adult attachment styles (ECR-S) in the perceived social support (MOSS) and self-reported depressive symptoms (BDI-SF) in the COVID-19 context. Results: Positive social interactions was the most important dimension of social support for lower depression symptoms. Individuals attachment strategies have a moderating role in the relation between of social support and depression. Crucially, insecure attachment style wanes the positive impact of social support in depression. Conclusion: Aligned with the existing literature, attachment security is an essential factor in our current understanding of relationships and mental health. Exploring specific and indivual attachment strategies might be a powerful tool to protect population’s mental healt.

Attachment Style Differences in the Affective Experience of Chronic Pain in Osteoarthritis

Lifespan psychological and life course sociological perspectives have long acknowledged that individual functioning is shaped by historical and socio-cultural contexts. Secular increases favoring later-born cohorts are widely documented for general well-being (among older adults). However, little is known about secular trends in short-term fluctuations in daily affective well-being and whether historical changes have occurred in young, middle-aged, and older adults alike. To examine these questions, we compared data from two independent national samples of the NSDE survey obtained 18 years apart (1995/96 vs. 2013/14) and identified case-matched cohorts (per cohort, n = 782, aged = 23–75 years) based on age and gender. We additionally examine the role of economic and health resources for cohort differences in affective variability. Results revealed that later-born cohorts report higher variability in daily negative affect than did those 18 years ago. In contrast, no cohort differences emerged in variability in daily positive affect. We conclude from our national US sample that secular trends in affect variability do not generalize unanimously to different timescales across adulthood. We discuss possible underlying mechanisms and practical implications.

Variables Associated with Loneliness: Schema Domains, Attachment and Love Attitudes

The aim of the present study is to examine whether the participants with low and high level of loneliness differ in terms of schema domains, adult attachment styles and love attitudes. Examining the mediator role of adult attachment styles and love attitudes between schema domains and loneliness is another aim of the study. The sample of this study consists of 231 participants (160 female, 71 male) between the ages of 17-51. The participants were given Demographic Information Form, along with UCLA Loneliness Scale, Young Schema Questionnaire Short Form, Experiences in Close Relationships Scale and Love Attitudes Scale. The obtained data were evaluated by t-test, Pearson correlation analysis and model test (Bootstrap). According to the results, participants with low and high level of loneliness differed significantly in terms of schema domains (disconection and rejection, impaired autonomy and performance, other directedness and overvigiliance and inhibition), adult attachment styles (anxious and avodiance) and love attitudes (Eros, Ludus and Mania). In model test results of the analysis, anxious attachment style mediates the relationship between other directedness schema domain and loneliness. It was concluded that individuals who have high scores in the other directedness schema domain have high Mania love attitudes and anxious attachment scores, and this situation increased the loneliness of the individuals. The findings are important in understanding the variables that may be associated with loneliness, which is common in society and creates problems in individuals' lives. Keywords: Loneliness, early maladaptive schemas, attachment style, love attitudes

Autistic traits and social skills in Chinese college students: Mediating roles of adult attachment styles and empathy

Autistic traits (ATs) are considered a set of primary symptoms of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and are postulated to be continuously distributed in the general population. Prior findings suggest that impairment of social skills results in interpersonal difficulties in ASDs. However, there are few studies examining the possible negative effects of ATs on social skills in the general population and the specific mechanism. The current study explored the influence of ATs on social skills and the mediating role of adult attachment styles and multimodal empathy. The results showed that ATs reduced social skills directly and indirectly through complex mediation by adult attachment styles and multimodal empathy. The findings revealed the internal mechanism by which ATs impede social skills, and expands our understanding of social behaviour in ASD and ATs in the general population. Furthermore, the results have implications for social skills interventions for individuals with ASD and those with high levels of ATs.

Adult attachment, psychological distress and help-seeking in university students: Findings from a cross-sectional online survey in England

We examine psychological distress and mental health help-seeking in UK university students via an online survey of 461 students, of whom 273 reported having psychological distress. We examined the prevalence and predictors of help-seeking in students with psychological distress, with a focus on the role of adult attachment styles along with social support and perceived stigma. Overall, 22% of the sample reported severe psychological distress and 37% reported mild/moderate psychological distress. Of students reporting severe psychological distress, 58% sought help in the past year and 30% were receiving counselling or therapy. In the group with mild/moderate psychological distress, 30% reported help-seeking and 17% were receiving counselling or therapy. For students with psychological distress, being older, having more psychological distress, and higher anxious attachment predicted mental health help-seeking. Social support and perceived mental health stigma did not predict help-seeking in the regression model. There was some evidence that the relationship between avoidant attachment style and help-seeking may depend on level of psychological distress experienced (moderating role). Overall, the results point to considerable unmet mental health needs in the UK university environment. Targeted strategies to promote mental health help-seeking in younger students may be beneficial.

Internalised stigma in mental health: An investigation of the role of attachment style

Internalised stigma is associated with a range of negative outcomes, yet little is known about what determines the internalisation of stigma. In this study we examined the potential role of adult attachment style in the internalisation process in a transdiagnostic sample of adults with experience of recent mental health service use (n = 122), using an online survey. Associations between internalised stigma and perceived public stigma were tested. We also examined whether anxious and avoidant (insecure) attachment styles were positively associated with a significant amount of variance in internalised stigma when controlling for other variables, and whether the relationship between perceived public stigma and internalised stigma was moderated by anxious and avoidant attachment. We found that internalised stigma, perceived public stigma and insecure attachment were commonly reported and that internalised stigma was positively associated with perceived public stigma. However, neither anxious or avoidant attachment were associated with a significant amount of variance in internalised stigma and we found no moderating effect on the relationship between perceived public stigma and internalised stigma for insecure attachment. Despite mixed results, the strength of association between anxious attachment and internalised stigma suggests further research, which addresses some limitations of the current study, is warranted.

POSTPARTUM BONDING DIFFICULTIES AND ADULT ATTACHMENT STYLES: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION AND CHILDBIRTH‐RELATED PTSD

Despite decades of research demonstrating the role of adult attachment styles and early mother-infant bonding in parenting behaviors and maternal mental health, these constructs have seldom been studied together. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between attachment styles and specific bonding difficulties of mothers. In addition, as postpartum depression and childbirth-related posttraumatic stress symptoms have been associated with both constructs, we explored their possible mediation effect. One hundred fourteen mothers, 4 to 12 weeks' postpartum, completed a demographic questionnaire, the Adult Attachment Style Questionnaire (M. Mikulincer, V. Florian, & A. Tolmacz, 1990), the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (L.F. Brockington, C. Fraser, & D. Wilson, 2006), the Modified Perinatal Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Questionnaire (J.L. Callahan, S.E. Borja, & M.T. Hynan, 2006), and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (J.L. Cox, G. Chapman, D. Murray, & P. Jones, 1996), using an online survey system. As predicted, insecure attachment styles were associated with bonding difficulties wherein anxious/ambivalent attachment was associated with greater infant-focused anxiety, mediated by postpartum depression but not childbirth-related PTSD symptoms. In contrast, greater avoidant attachment style was associated with greater rejection and anger, mediated by childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but not depression symptoms. The current study confirmed the association of different attachment styles with bonding as well as the mediating roles of childbirth-related PTSD and postpartum depression symptoms. Future psychological interventions may utilize such evidence to target interventions for bonding disorders in accordance with individual differences.

Implicit Attitude Toward Caregiving: The Moderating Role of Adult Attachment Styles.

Attachment and caregiving are separate motivational systems that share the common evolutionary purpose of favoring child security. In the goal of studying the processes underlying the transmission of attachment styles, this study focused on the role of adult attachment styles in shaping preferences toward particular styles of caregiving. We hypothesized a correspondence between attachment and caregiving styles: we expect an individual to show a preference for a caregiving behavior coherent with his/her own attachment style, in order to increase the chance of passing it on to offspring. We activated different representations of specific caregiving modalities in females, by using three videos in which mothers with different Adult Attachment states of mind played with their infants. Participants' facial expressions while watching were recorded and analyzed with FaceReader software. After each video, participants' attitudes toward the category “mother” were measured, both explicitly (semantic differential) and implicitly (single target-implicit association task, ST-IAT). Participants' adult attachment styles (experiences in close relationships revised) predicted attitudes scores, but only when measured implicitly. Participants scored higher on the ST-IAT after watching a video coherent with their attachment style. No effect was found on the facial expressions of disgust. These findings suggest a role of adult attachment styles in shaping implicit attitudes related to the caregiving system.

The role of sexual expectancies of substance use as a mediator between adult attachment and drug use among gay and bisexual men

BackgroundResearch exploring substance use in gay and bisexual men has increasingly paid attention to interpersonal dynamics and relational concerns associated with the use of substances. The current study explored the role of adult attachment style on drug use as well as the potential mediating role of sexual expectancies of substance use among gay and bisexual men. MethodsOnline survey data were gathered from 122 gay and bisexual men across the U.S., with a mean age of 33 years. All participants were HIV-negative and identified their relationship status as single. Survey measures included attachment style, sexual expectancies of substance use, and recent drug use. ResultsWhile neither anxious or avoidant attachment were directly associated with the odds of recent drug use, they were positively associated with sexual expectancies of substance use (β=0.27, p<0.01, and β=0.21, p<0.05) which, in turn, were positively associated with the odds of drug use (expB=1.09, p<0.01). Bootstrapping tests of indirect effects revealed a significant indirect relationship between anxious attachment and drug use through sexual expectancies of substance use (β=0.11, p<0.05), but not for avoidant attachment. ConclusionsThis study highlights the importance of interpersonal expectancies as motivators for drug use among gay and bisexual men. Sexual expectancies of substance use were associated with drug use and anxious adult attachment was associated indirectly with drug use through these sexual expectancies.

Attachment Style and Relationship Difficulties in Parents of Children with ADHD

Previous studies report that parents of children with ADHD often experience difficulties in their couple relationship. The present study investigated the role of adult attachment style in relation to problems with dyadic adjustment and conflict communication. A cross-sectional design was employed, involving 98 parents of children and adolescents with ADHD and 153 parents of offspring without the disorder (age range in 3–19). Participants completed the following: Experiences in Close Relationships Questionnaire-R, Communications Pattern Questionnaire, Dyadic Adjustment Scale, and Conner’s Parent Rating Scale–48. According to the findings, the two parental groups differed regarding relationship difficulties only when attachment style was controlled for. Moreover, attachment avoidance moderated the impact of having a child with ADHD on dyadic adjustment while attachment anxiety moderated such an impact on conflict communication. Also, parents of children with less severe ADHD symptoms were more likely to experience relationship problems, while having a child with ADHD moderated the effects of gender on the roles taken in demand-withdraw communication. Considering adult attachment style may provide useful insights into how parents of children with ADHD relate to each other and may inform supportive interventions.

The Role of Adult Attachment Style in Online Social Network Affect, Cognition, and Behavior

In the last decade, social network sites (SNS) have a major attendance in our everyday lives. Numerous studies have explored the antecedences and consequences of this novel phenomenon. The current study is yet another attempt in this direction. In this research we seek to explore the role of personality tendencies, namely the attachment system, in individuals' affect, cognitions, and behavior on what is presently considered as the most popular SNS - "Facebook". Over the years studies have continuously demonstrated that attachment theory is a relevant framework for understanding human behavior and has proven attachment tendencies to be significantly associated with quality of close relationships and daily social interactions. Since today virtual communication and social networks are capturing dominant aspects of social relationships, the linkage to attachment theory is evident. Hence, we approached 190 Israeli young adults, and asked them about their habits and daily routines on Facebook. We also measured their cognition and emotion concerning Facebook. Results show that attachment insecurity is associated with global orientations and emotions towards Facebook and that people develop attachment relationships with their Facebook network. We discuss the associations between attachment and virtual communication and its application for future theory and research.

The role of adult attachment style, birth intervention and support in posttraumatic stress after childbirth: A prospective study

BackgroundThere is converging evidence that between 1% and 3% of women develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after childbirth. Various vulnerability and risk factors have been identified, including mode of birth and support during birth. However, little research has looked at the role of adult attachment style in how women respond to events during birth. This study prospectively examined the interaction between attachment style, mode of birth, and support in determining PTSD symptoms after birth. MethodA longitudinal study of women (n=57) from the last trimester of pregnancy to three months postpartum. Women completed questionnaire measures of attachment style in pregnancy and measures of PTSD, support during birth, and mode of birth at three months postpartum. ResultsAvoidant attachment style, operative birth (assisted vaginal or caesarean section) and poor support during birth were all significantly correlated with postnatal PTSD symptoms. Regression analyses showed that avoidant attachment style moderated the relationship between operative birth and PTSD symptoms, where women with avoidant attachment style who had operative deliveries were most at risk of PTSD symptoms. LimitationsThe study was limited to white European, cohabiting, primiparous women. Future research is needed to see if these findings are replicated in larger samples and different sociodemographic groups. ConclusionsThis study suggests avoidant attachment style may be a vulnerability factor for postpartum PTSD, particularly for women who have operative births. If replicated, clinical implications include the potential to screen for attachment style during pregnancy and tailor care during birth accordingly.

Attachment styles and marital adjustment of Turkish married individuals

The purpose of the study was to investigate the role of adult attachment styles and gender in predicting marital adjustment of married individuals. Measures of adult attachment and marital adjustment were administered to 204 (134 female, 70 male) married people. Using multiple linear regression analysis, it was found that avoidance and gender were significant predictors of marital adjustment. The findings were discussed in the light of literature.

Attachment Style, Stigma and Psychological Distress among HIV+ Adults

This study explored the role of adult attachment style in reported experiences of HIV-related stigma, stress and depression in a diverse sample of HIV+ adults. Participants (N = 288) recruited from AIDS service organizations were administered the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, CES-D, HIV Stigma Scale and a health information questionnaire. Adult romantic attachment style was significantly associated with perceived stress, depression and HIV-related stigma. Results of regression analyses supported contentions that in addition to HIV symptomatology, other psychosocial risk factors such as attachment style and stigma contribute to perceived stress and depression among HIV+ men and women.

The Role of Adult Attachment Style in Forgiveness Following an Interpersonal Offense

The role of attachment style in relation to forgiveness was investigated in 2 betrayal interviews. Blood pressure and heart rate were assessed, along with attachment style, forgiveness, empathy, and emotional expressiveness. Securely attached individuals were more forgiving of the specific offense, had higher levels of trait forgiveness, and expressed more positive emotion. Securely attached adults had lower interview systolic blood pressure and exhibited greater blood pressure recovery. Attachment style may be an independent antecedent of forgiveness.

The Role of Adult Attachment Styles in Psychopathology and Psychotherapy Outcomes

Attachment theory provides a model for understanding how the attachment styles formed in infancy systematically affect subsequent psychological functioning across the life span. Attachment styles provide the cognitive schemas, or working models, through which individuals perceive and relate to their worlds. In turn, these schemas predispose the development of psychopathologies and influence outcomes when people undergo psychotherapy. After reviewing recent empirical findings, the authors conclude that an understanding of attachment theory facilitates the conceptualization of clients' problems and the selection of appropriate interventions. Accordingly, attachment styles should be assessed as a standard part of treatment planning. Furthermore, the authors propose that attachment styles should be assessed as individual difference variables in psychotherapy outcome research because adult attachment styles dictate how people perceive and respond to their environments and, therefore, how clients respond differentially to various treatments.

Family and Work: Implications of Adult Attachment Styles

This study examined the role of adult attachment style in meeting the challenges of both work and family roles for parents of young children. Theory suggests that secure attachment provides a basis for successful negotiation of issues of intimacy and exploration—for adults, family, and work. Using a large sample of adults in committed relationships, studied longitudinally, we assessed satisfaction with work, satisfaction with family, stress, and role overload. Results indicated that most parents, particularly those with secure attachment styles, are able to function in multiple domains successfully. However, women and men with fearful attachment styles, characterized by views that the self is unlovable and others are untrustworthy, have marked difficulty in many family domains and some work domains. Functioning of parents with dismissing and preoccupied attachment styles fell between that of secure and fearful.

Family and Work: Implications of Adult Attachment Styles

This study examined the role of adult attachment style in meeting the challenges of both work and family roles for parents of young children. Theory suggests that secure attachment provides a basis for successful negotiation of issues of intimacy and exploration—for adults, family, and work. Using a large sample of adults in committed relationships, studied longitudinally, we assessed satisfaction with work, satisfaction with family, stress, and role overload. Results indicated that most parents, particularly those with secure attachment styles, are able to function in multiple domains successfully. However, women and men with fearful attachment styles, characterized by views that the self is unlovable and others are untrustworthy, have marked difficulty in many family domains and some work domains. Functioning of parents with dismissing and preoccupied attachment styles fell between that of secure and fearful.

Adult attachment style and vulnerability to depression

The present study examined the role of adult attachment styles in differentiating ‘depressed’ and ‘non-depressed’ college students, and the association between attachment styles and the depressive personality vulnerabilities, sociotropy and autonomy. High scores on the fearful and, to a lesser extent, preoccupied attachment scales were associated with higher levels of depression, highlighting negative self-representation as a key factor in depression. While the sociotropy vulnerability construct correlated exclusively with the preoccupied attachment scale, correlations for the autonomy construct were more complex: as predicted, fearful attachment correlated with all three autonomy subscales while dismissive attachment correlated with the defensive-separation and control subscales, but not with the self-criticism subscale. With an emphasis on negative self-representation, preoccupied attachment also correlated with the self-criticism subscale. The results suggest that fearful attachment is consistent with autonomous vulnerability and preoccupied attachment with sociotropic vulnerability. Self-criticism, a component of both fearful and preoccupied attachment, is highlighted as a strong depressive vulnerability. Dismissive attachment, not involving the self-critical component, does not appear to be associated with depressive predisposition, despite involving self-reliance and avoidance of intimacy.