Early-life adversities and adult attachment in depression and alexithymia

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Jani Kajanoja ◽  
Max Karukivi ◽  
Noora M. Scheinin ◽  
Hanna Ahrnberg ◽  
Linnea Karlsson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Style ◽  
Adult Attachment ◽  
Childhood Maltreatment ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Birth Cohort Study ◽  
Emotional Neglect ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Adult Attachment Style ◽  
Personality Construct

Abstract Alexithymia is a personality construct characterized by difficulties in identifying and verbalizing feelings, a restricted imagination, and an externally oriented thinking style. As alexithymia shows marked overlap with depression, its independent nature as a personality construct is still being debated. The etiology of alexithymia is unknown, although childhood emotional neglect and attachment formation are thought to play important roles. In the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, experiences of early-life adversities (EA) and childhood maltreatment (CM) were studied in a sample of 2,604 men and women. The overlap and differences between depression and alexithymia were investigated by comparing their associations with EA types and adult attachment style. Alexithymia was specifically associated with childhood emotional neglect (odds ratio (OR) 3.8, p < .001), whereas depression was related to several types of EA. In depression co-occurring with alexithymia, there was a higher prevalence of emotional neglect (81.3% vs. 54.4%, p < .001), attachment anxiety (t = 2.38, p = .018), and attachment avoidance (t = 4.03, p < .001). Early-life adversities were markedly different in the alexithymia group compared to those suffering from depression, or healthy controls. Depression with concurrent alexithymia may represent a distinct subtype, specifically associated with childhood experiences of emotional neglect, and increased attachment insecurity compared to non-alexithymic depression.

scholarly journals Association between childhood maltreatment and adult emotional dysregulation in a low-income, urban, African American sample: Moderation by oxytocin receptor gene

2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 439-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bekh Bradley ◽  
Drew Westen ◽  
Kristina B. Mercer ◽  
Elisabeth B. Binder ◽  
Tanja Jovanovic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Childhood Abuse ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Adult Attachment ◽  
Childhood Maltreatment ◽  
Oxytocin Receptor ◽  
Emotional Dysregulation ◽  
Adult Attachment Style ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe ability to effectively regulate emotions and a secure attachment style are critical for maintaining mental health across the life span. The experience of childhood maltreatment interferes with normal development of emotional regulation and dramatically increases risk for a wide range of psychiatric disorders in adulthood. The central nervous system oxytocin systems are critically involved in mediating social attachment and buffering psychophysiological responses to stress. We therefore investigated the impact of childhood maltreatment and an oxytocin receptor (OXTR) single nucleotide polymorphism (rs53576) and their interaction on emotional dysregulation and attachment style in adulthood in a sample of low-income, African American men and women recruited from primary care clinics of an urban, public hospital. Consistent with prior research, we found that the severity of childhood maltreatment was associated with increased levels of emotional dysregulation in adulthood. Childhood maltreatment was also positively associated with ratings of disorganized/unresolved adult attachment style and negatively associated with ratings of secure adult attachment style. There was no direct association between rs53576 and emotional dysregulation or ratings of adult attachment style. However, there were significant interactions between rs53576 and childhood maltreatment in predicting level of adult emotional dysregulation and attachment style. Specifically, G/G genotype carriers were at risk for increased emotional dysregulation when exposed to three or more categories of childhood abuse. In addition, G/G genotype carriers exhibited enhanced disorganized adult attachment style when exposed to severe childhood abuse compared to A/A and A/G carriers. Our findings suggest that A allele carriers of OXTR rs53576 are resilient against the effects of severe childhood adversity, by protection against emotional dysregulation and disorganized attachment.

Personal characteristics associated with the effect of childhood trauma on health

2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 384-394
Author(s):  
John Muench ◽  
Sheldon Levy ◽  
Rebecca Rdesinski ◽  
Rebekah Schiefer ◽  
Kristin Gilbert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Adult Attachment ◽  
Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Adult Attachment Style ◽  
Care Clinic ◽  
Adverse Childhood

Objective This article will describe a pilot study to explore associations between adult attachment style, resilience, Adverse Childhood Experiences, and adult health. Method A self-report survey was mailed to 180 randomly selected primary care patients and linked to a retrospective chart review. The patients met the following criteria: (1) enrolled for at least the previous year at their primary care clinic, (2) 21 years of age or greater, (3) English as their primary language, and (4) were seen by their provider on selected dates of the study. The survey was made up of three instruments: (1) the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire which consists of 10 questions about the respondent’s adverse experiences during their first 18 years of life; (2) the Relationship Scales Questionnaire which measures adult attachment style; and (3) the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale, a self-report scale that measures individual’s perceptions of their resilience. For each returned questionnaire, we calculated a measure of medical complexity using the Elixhauser Comorbidity Index. Results Of the 180 randomly selected patients from four clinic sites, 84 (46.6%) returned completed questionnaires. We found that Adverse Childhood Experience scores were significantly correlated with health and attachment style and trended toward association with resilience. Conclusion This pilot study revealed expected relationships of the complex associations between Adverse Childhood Experiences, attachment style, and resiliency. Further research with more subjects is warranted in order to continue to explore these relationships.

scholarly journals High Behavioral Inhibition System/Behavioral Activation System Sensitivity, Childhood Emotional Neglect and Their Interaction as Possible Related Factors for Adult Attachment Style in Depression

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 122-129
Author(s):  
Hyu Jung Huh ◽  
Bo Ram Jeong ◽  
Ji Hyun Hwang ◽  
Jeong-Ho Chae
Keyword(s):  
Childhood Trauma ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Adult Attachment ◽  
Behavioral Inhibition ◽  
Behavioral Activation ◽  
Insecure Attachment ◽  
Behavioral Inhibition System ◽  
Emotional Neglect ◽  
Adult Attachment Style ◽  
Activation System

Objective Individual differences in attachment insecurity are important in a broad range of mental health problems. However, few empirical studies have examined the clinical factors that contribute to individual differences in attachment style. This study examines the nature of interrelationships among adult attachment styles, sensitivities of behavioral activation system/behavioral inhibition system (BIS/BAS), and childhood trauma in patients with depressive disorders.Methods Patients with depressive disorders (n=294) completed self-report questionnaires evaluating adult attachment style, childhood trauma, and BIS/BAS sensitivity. We performed multiple regression analyses to examine the associations between attachment style and other clinical factors, including childhood trauma and BIS/BAS sensitivity. We also conducted hierarchical regression analyses and simple slope analyses to examine the interaction between BIS/BAS sensitivity and childhood trauma.Results The BAS sensitivity was negatively associated with attachment avoidance. The higher was the BIS/BAS sensitivity, the higher was the level of attachment anxiety. Among childhood trauma, emotional neglect contributed to both dimensions of insecure attachment. The interaction between BAS sensitivity and emotional neglect is significantly associated with attachment anxiety.Conclusion This study used data regarding the interrelationship of childhood trauma and basic motivational systems to contribute to the understanding of adult insecure attachment behaviors, a risk factor for depression.

Adult Attachment Style and Prejudice

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Russell J. Webster ◽  
Bernard E. Whitley ◽  
Kimberly A. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Style ◽  
Adult Attachment ◽  
Adult Attachment Style

Adult Attachment Style Differences Among Adaptive, Maladaptive, and Nonperfectionists

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Noble ◽  
Philip B. Gnilka ◽  
Jeffrey S. Ashby ◽  
Kathleen Mckinney Clark ◽  
Mary Beth Ellis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Style ◽  
Adult Attachment ◽  
Adult Attachment Style
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