Prolonged grief and attachment security: A latent class analysis

A two-generation study: The transmission of attachment and young adults’ depression, anxiety, and social media addiction

Living single is becoming increasingly common worldwide and understanding within‐group predictors of well‐being among singles is becoming a stronger research priority. Although Pepping, MacDonald, and Davis suggested individual differences in attachment security may be useful for predicting singles' well‐being, there are no published data on the issue. In this research, single participants (N = 1930; 49% men; Mage = 31 years; 75% White) completed measures of attachment security as well as measures of life satisfaction, satisfaction with singlehood, and desire for a romantic partner. The data suggested that higher levels of attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety were both associated with lower levels of life satisfaction as well as satisfaction with singlehood. However, when controlling for life satisfaction, attachment avoidance was not associated with satisfaction with singlehood. We also found that higher levels of attachment avoidance were associated with less desire for a romantic partner whereas higher levels of attachment anxiety were associated with stronger desire for a partner. Our findings suggest that individual differences in attachment security may indeed be useful in predicting well‐being‐related outcomes for singles.

Daily variations in attachment anxiety and avoidance: A density distributions approach

ABSTRACTWe compared each individual group member’s attachment fit with the attachment of the other group members. Participants were 201 members of 20 therapy groups who sought treatment because they were overweight or obese. Group members completed the Attachment Style Questionnaire before commencing treatment and the Group Questionnaire at three points during group treatment. Multilevel polynomial regression followed by response surface analysis was used to examine how the attachment anxiety and avoidance of the individual group member and the aggregated attachment anxiety and avoidance of the group members were related to individual group members’ perceptions of the positive bonding, positive working relationships, and negative relationships in the group. The findings suggested that attachment heterogeneity in group is related to the perception of members’ stronger bonding relationships and lower negative relationships. In addition, positive bonding can be increased when a patient high in attachment avoidance is added to a group whose patients are low in attachment avoidance; however, group members reported weaker negative relationships when their attachment anxiety or avoidance became increasingly higher or lower than other group members’ attachment anxiety or avoidance.

Objective The present study examines the effects of attachment styles on the grief response and the indirect effect of rumination in parents who lost a child in the Sewol Ferry accident.Methods Bereaved parents (n=81) completed self-report questionnaires evaluating their attachment style (Experience in Close Relationship-Short form), traumatic loss related rumination (Event-Related Rumination Inventory), degree of complicated grief (Inventory of Complicated Grief), and post-traumatic growth (Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory). Data were analyzed using correlation analysis, structural equation modeling, and bootstrapping.Results The indirect effect of event-related intrusive rumination was significant in the relationship between attachment avoidance and complicated grief. The path from attachment avoidance to post-traumatic growth via deliberate rumination was not significant. With respect toattachment anxiety and post-traumatic growth, the indirect effect of deliberate rumination was significant. But the indirect effect of intrusive rumination was not significant in the relationships among attachment anxiety, complicated grief, and post-traumatic growth.Conclusion Individuals with attachment anxiety could obtain post-traumatic growth via deliberate rumination. By contrast, attachment avoidance was associated with the risk of maladaptive grief. Grief interventions should account for individual differences in attachment styles through interventions that manage intrusive rumination and strengthen deliberate rumination.

This study examines the mediating roles of anger expression styles and anger control in the relationship between adult attachment styles and intimate partner violence. Data were collected from 412 participants using the Socio-Demographic Information Form, Conflict Resolution Styles Scale, State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory, and the Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory-II. Statistical analyses, including independent samples t-tests, Pearson correlation analysis, and mediation analyses, were performed using SPSS 25 and the PROCESS Macro. The results revealed no significant gender differences in attachment anxiety; however, men exhibited significantly higher levels of attachment avoidance. Attachment anxiety was positively associated with trait anger and outward anger expression, and negatively with anger control. Likewise, attachment avoidance correlated positively with trait anger, suppressed anger, and outward anger expression, and negatively with anger control. Outward anger expression emerged as a risk factor for partner violence, whereas suppressed anger appeared to have a mitigating effect. Trait anger and anger control did not demonstrate significant mediating effects. These findings underscore the role of attachment styles in anger regulation and intimate partner violence, suggesting the potential utility of therapeutic interventions targeting attachment dynamics in preventing violent behaviors.

Having an insecure attachment style in schizophrenia has been linked to treatment response and symptom severity in schizophrenia. This study sought to further examine whether attachment style is related to subjective indicators of recovery including hope and self-esteem, independent of symptom level and secondly, whether attachment style in schizophrenia differs from attachment style of persons facing adversity in the form of a prolonged non-psychiatric medical illness. Participants were 52 men with schizophrenia, and 26 with HIV/AIDS who had no history of experiencing severe mental illness. These groups were compared in terms of their endorsement of attachment style. All participants were administered the Experiences in Close Relationships measure of adult attachment style. The schizophrenia group was also given the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale to assess self-esteem, the Beck Hopelessness Scale as a measure of hope, and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, as an assessment of symptoms. Avoidant attachment in the schizophrenia group was linked with higher levels of hopelessness while anxious attachment was linked to lower levels of self-esteem. The association between anxious attachment and self-esteem persisted after controlling for severity of positive, negative, and depressive symptoms in a stepwise multiple regression analyses. Compared to the HIV/AIDS group, participants with schizophrenia had significantly higher levels of anxious attachment but not avoidant attachment style. Attachment style may impact attainment of key subjective domains of recovery in schizophrenia such as self-esteem, independent of symptom severity. If self-esteem and/or hopelessness are identified as a focus of treatment, focusing on attachment style may be an important treatment component. Therapist understanding of patients' attachment style may allow for a better understanding of resistance in the therapeutic relationship. Helping persons with schizophrenia to recognize and change how they tend to relate to others may promote gains in subjective elements of recovery.

e24002 Background: In research, how people act in close relationships is described as “attachment styles” which are composed of multiple attachment style dimensions (ASDs). Attachment avoidance is characterized by the need to isolate from the relationship (i.e. withdrawing and increased independence) while attachment anxiety is defined as needing reassurance and higher dependence. These two insecure ASDs are correlated with reduced quality of life for cancer patients (PT) and the family caregivers (CG). In ovarian cancer, PT and CG ASDs were correlated to dyadic coping, however 27% of PTs were disease-free. Attachment insecurity may be exacerbated by active treatment and uncertain prognosis. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between ASDs, and CG and PT reported dyadic coping and illness-specific communication. Methods: Metastatic sarcoma PTs and their CGs were recruited prospectively for a longitudinal, survey study investigating dyadic coping at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center from Feb. 2022 – Dec. 2022. Participation rate for eligible PTs was 42% and 68% for CGs. Results are of participants who identified as intimate partners (individuals and dyads were allowed to participate). Attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety were measured via Relationship Structures Questionnaire. Dyadic coping and communication were measured via Dyadic Coping Inventory and Illness-Specific Relationship Talk (ISRT), respectively. Results: Sixty-nine participants enrolled: 43 PTs and 26 CGs (25 dyads). Participants were primarily non-Hispanic and white (91% PTs; 85% CG) with mean age 64 years ( SD= 13.1; range = 26-89). 61% of PTs identified as men; 60% of CGs identified as women. CGs with attachment anxiety were more likely to report worse coping and less ISRT, while PTs with attachment anxiety were more likely to report only worse coping (See Table 1). However, PTs with attachment avoidance were more likely to report both worse coping and ISRT. Conclusions: Advance cancer PTs and their CGs with insecure ASDs report worse coping and communication. Screening for insecure ASDs may identify PTs and CGs who would benefit from supportive care, including psychotherapy. Future research should investigate this in a larger, more heterogenous population at earlier in the rare cancer trajectory and the effect of ASDs on PT, CG, and clinician communication. [Table: see text]

In this study, we aimed to test the mediating role of emotion regulation difficulties between prolonged grief disorder symptoms and three risk factors: neuroticism, avoidant attachment, and anxious attachment. A total sample of 203 bereaved participants was included in the study. Path analysis revealed that emotion regulation difficulties partly mediated the links between neuroticism, avoidant attachment, and prolonged grief symptoms, and mediated the link between anxious attachment and prolonged grief symptoms. The findings suggested that emotion regulation difficulties might be an important factor contributing to prolonged grief symptoms among bereaved individuals with high neuroticism and insecure attachment.

Adult attachment affects close bonds, including bonds with fictional characters, but does it also influence the level of engagement with fictional worlds? This article aims to build on previous research on how attachment relates to narrative transportation. In Study 1, attachment anxiety, but not attachment avoidance, predicted a greater tendency to become transported into narratives, even after controlling for broader personality traits related to attachment. In Study 2, attachment anxiety again predicted a greater tendency to engage in narratives but only at high levels of attachment avoidance. In Study 3, this interaction between attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance in predicting narrative transportation was again observed when transportation was measured immediately after viewing a specific narrative.

AEON-HO (Altering emotional organization-holistic operation) contains methods of Naikan therapy and mindfulness. Naikan and mindfulness are originally from Buddhism tradition, and they have a high affinity. AEON-HO was conceptualized to improve attachment issues and the growth of self-actualization, because Naikan and mindfulness are known to be effective for attachment issues but partially if they are used independently. Naikan can approach to attachment avoidance, while mindfulness can approach to attachment anxiety. The primary purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of AEON-HO on attachment styles, self-actualization, and depression by using "attachment style scale the Experiences in Close Relationships inventory-the generalized-other-version (ECR-GO)," "self-actualization scale" translated to Japanese, and "center for epidemiologic studies for depression scale." Participants have taken these three psychological questionnaires before and after the eight-week program of AEON-HO, and the results of scales were compared. Participants were 36 adults with a mean age of 49 years ( SD = 3.9). Changes in two attachment styles, anxiety and avoidance and depressive state, were observed between pre- and posttest, while there were no significant changes in self-actualization. However, attachment anxiety and self-actualization were correlated negatively in pre- and posttest, while attachment avoidance and self-actualization were correlated negatively only in pretest.

Although much is known about childhood anxiety disorders, the differential contributions by mothers and fathers to child anxiety is poorly understood. This study examined the relation between child anxiety and parental level of psychopathology, attachment style, and reflective functioning (RF). Thirty-eight clinically anxious children aged 7-12 years (55.3% female) referred for treatment and their parents (37 mothers, 34 fathers) participated in the study. Reflective functioning was coded based on Adult Attachment Interviews. Self-report questionnaires on attachment and psychopathology were administered. Paternal psychopathology, attachment avoidance, and attachment anxiety as well as maternal attachment anxiety were associated with child anxiety. Mothers had higher RF abilities than fathers. Lower levels of RF in mothers and higher levels of attachment avoidance in fathers explained 42% of the variance in anxiety levels of the child. Mothers and fathers may provide unique contributions to the development of child anxiety. The findings highlight the importance of considering fathers as well as mothers in research and treatment for childhood anxiety disorders.

Background: Adult attachment insecurity is associated with poor psychosocial and cancer-related symptom outcomes in patients with cancer; however, there is a paucity of research around the role of the spousal caregivers' attachment in patient quality of life (QOL) at the end of life (EOL). Attachment styles may be particularly relevant for couples coping with prolonged metastatic disease, where the threat of death or disease progression is highly salient. Methods: We conducted secondary analyses on a sample of patients with stage IV non–small cell lung cancer and their spouses. Participants separately completed questionnaires of attachment style (ECR-S), relationship closeness (PAIR), illness-related communication (holding back one's fear of death or disease progression), and cancer-related distress (IES). Patients additionally completed questionnaires on sense of life completion and QOL at EOL (QUAL-E Completion Subscale and Overall QOL Item) and symptom burden (MDASI-LC). Results: For patients, greater attachment avoidance was associated with lower sense of life completion (r = −0.31, P = .009) and lower overall QOL (r = −0.35, P = .003). Greater patient attachment anxiety was also associated with a lower sense of life completion (r = −0.26, P = .034). Greater caregiver attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety were associated with patient reports of lower overall QOL (r = −0.38, P = .001, r = −0.36, P = .002, respectively). In addition, greater caregiver attachment anxiety was associated with greater patient symptom burden (r = 0.24, P = .048) controlling for patient's own attachment anxiety. For both patients and caregivers, greater attachment anxiety was associated with more “holding back” from communicating their fear of death or disease progression with their spouse (r = 0.25, P = .036; r = 0.31, P = .011, respectively). Dyadic analyses revealed a positive association within the couple for attachment avoidance (r = 0.41, P < .01) and anxiety (r = 0.31, P < .01). Conclusion: Both spousal caregiver and patient attachment styles are highly relevant to illness communication patterns and patient QOL outcomes.

The experience of romantic love is closely interlocked with consumption journeys—yet how and why consumers engage in romantic consumption is not fully understood. This research emphasizes romantic consumption as a novel scholarly domain of theoretical and substantive richness due to its fundamental importance to nearly every consumer’s life and its considerable economic relevance. Specifically, we investigate how attachment styles influence romantic consumption across various contexts, from movies, books, and greeting cards to romantic gaming and online dating. Across six studies, we show that consumers with an avoidant attachment style are less likely to engage in romantic consumption, whereas consumers with anxious and fearful attachment styles are more favorable toward it and emulate the romantic consumption of consumers with a secure attachment style. We propose that this pattern is driven by the interaction between attachment avoidance and anxiety such that the negative effect of attachment avoidance is attenuated when attachment anxiety is high. These attachment style differences are mediated by a motive for emotional intimacy, suggesting that personal romantic consumption (e.g., reading a book) can serve as a surrogate to fulfill unmet relational needs. Notably, positioning products via types of romantic love serves as an important moderator: products positioned via companionate love are more appealing to securely attached consumers, products positioned via passionate love are more appealing to avoidant consumers, and anxious and fearful consumers find both equally appealing. Consistent with the notion of consumer-based strategy, we discuss how managers can leverage these insights in their segmentation, targeting, and positioning.

Previous studies have demonstrated that insecure attachment patterns and a trait disposition toward negative affect and impulsivity are both associated with borderline personality disorder (BPD) features. According to attachment theory, insecure attachment patterns impart greater risk for the maladaptive personality traits underlying BPD. Hence, insecure attachment might be indirectly related to BPD through its association with these traits. The current cross-sectional study used structural equation modeling to compare two competing models of the relationship between adult attachment patterns, trait negative affect and impulsivity, and BPD features in a large nonclinical sample of young adults: (M1) attachment anxiety and avoidance are positively related to trait negative affect and impulsivity, which in turn, are directly associated with BPD features; and (M2) trait negative affect and impulsivity are positively related to attachment anxiety and avoidance, which in turn, are directly associated with BPD features. Consistent with attachment theory, M1 provided a better fit to the data than M2. However, only attachment anxiety, and not attachment avoidance, was significantly associated with negative affect and impulsivity. The results favored a model in which the relationship between adult attachment anxiety and BPD features is fully mediated by trait negative affect and impulsivity.