Social and psychological consequences of not crying: possible associations with psychopathology and therapeutic relevance

CNS Spectrums ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 414-422 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dale C. Hesdorffer ◽  
Ad J.J.M. Vingerhoets ◽  
Michael R. Trimble
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Social Functioning ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Panel Survey ◽  
Psychological Consequences ◽  
Anxious Attachment ◽  
Avoidant Attachment ◽  
Bidirectional Associations ◽  
Study Participants

ObjectiveEmotional crying is hypothesized to serve intra- and interpersonal functions. Intrapersonal functions are assumed to facilitate the capacity to recover from emotional distress, thus promoting well-being. Interpersonal functions are postulated to have a major impact on social functioning. We hypothesized that non-criers would have lower well-being and poorer social functioning than criers.MethodsStudy participants included 475 people who reportedly lost the capacity to cry and 179 “normal” control criers. Applied measures assessed crying, well-being, empathy, attachment, social support, and connection with others. Prevalence estimates of not crying by gender were obtained from a panel survey of 2,000 Dutch households.ResultsIn the main survey, tearless cases had less connection with others, less empathy, and experienced less social support, but were equal in terms of well-being. They also reported being less moved by emotional stimuli and had a more avoidant and less anxious attachment style. In multivariate analyses, being male, having an avoidant attachment style, and lacking empathy were independent predictors of tearlessness. Some 46.1% felt that not being able to cry affected them negatively; however, despite these findings, only 2.9% had sought any kind of professional help. Loss of the capacity to cry occurred in 8.6% of the men and 6.5% of the women in the large panel survey.ConclusionsDespite reduced empathy, less connection with others, and a more avoidant/less anxious attachment type, well-being is maintained in tearless people. Additional clinical and therapeutic investigations of tearlessness may lead to clarification of bidirectional associations between psychiatric disorders (e.g., alexithymia, posttraumatic stress disorder, psychopathy) and tearlessness.

scholarly journals Individual Differences in Work-Related Well-Being: The Role of Attachment Style

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 694-711
Author(s):  
Tiziana Lanciano ◽  
Vanda Lucia Zammuner
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Adult Attachment ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Job Involvement ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Anxious Attachment ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Dispositional Trait

Integrating theories of adult attachment and well-being at the workplace, the present study tested the role of attachment style in predicting work-related well-being in terms of job satisfaction and job involvement, over and above dispositional trait measures (emotional traits and work-related traits). A sample of workers took part in a correlational study that explored the relationships among a) adult attachment, b) emotional traits, c) work-related traits, and d) work-related well-being indices. The results showed that both secure and anxious attachment style explained workers’ job involvement, whereas the secure and avoidant attachment styles explained workers’ job satisfaction. The current findings thus confirm and expand the literature's emphasis on studying the variables and processes that underlie people's mental health in the work setting, and have implications for assessing and promoting well-being in the workplace.

Focusing on the adult attachment style in schizophrenia in community mental health centres: Validation of the Psychosis Attachment Measure (PAM) in a German-speaking sample

2011 ◽  
Vol 58 (4) ◽  
pp. 362-373 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Kvrgic ◽  
Eva-Marina Beck ◽  
Marialuisa Cavelti ◽  
Joe Kossowsky ◽  
Rolf-Dieter Stieglitz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Treatment Adherence ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Therapeutic Relationship ◽  
Factor Structure ◽  
German Version ◽  
Anxious Attachment ◽  
Avoidant Attachment

Background: Assessing attachment style in people with schizophrenia may be important to identify a risk factor in building a strong therapeutic relationship and so indirectly to understand the development of mal-compliance as one of the major obstacles in the treatment of schizophrenia. Aims: The present study analysed the psychometric properties of the German version of the Psychosis Attachment Measure (PAM), which assesses avoidant and anxious attachment style. Methods: A sample of 127 patients suffering from chronic schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder participated in this study. In testing discriminant validity, we assessed psychopathology, depression, therapeutic relationship and service engagement. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability and factor structure were analysed. Results: The German version of PAM exhibited acceptable to good internal and test-retest reliabilities and the two-factor structure of the English version could be replicated. Avoidant attachment style was related to higher levels of positive symptoms and to a poorer therapeutic relationship. In the context of external validation, a regression analysis revealed that a poor therapeutic relationship correlated with avoidant attachment style, independent of anxious attachment style and depressive symptoms. Anxious attachment was associated with higher treatment adherence. Both insecure attachment styles (avoidant and anxious) were found to be correlated with higher levels of depression, but only attachment anxiety had an independent predictive value for self-reported depression in regression analysis. Conclusions: The German version of PAM displayed satisfactory psychometric properties and seems to be a reliable measure for assessing attachment style in individuals with schizophrenia. Validation of PAM led to the finding that only the avoidant attachment style might be a risk factor when building a strong therapeutic relationship in schizophrenia. In future studies, other factors influencing therapeutic relationship should be taken into account. Anxious attachment style may be a risk factor for depression, but it also has an enhancing effect on treatment adherence.

scholarly journals The Psychological Consequences of COVID-19 and Lockdown in the Spanish Population: An Exploratory Sequential Design

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (22) ◽  
pp. 8578
Author(s):  
María Dolores Hidalgo ◽  
Nekane Balluerka ◽  
Arantxa Gorostiaga ◽  
José Pedro Espada ◽  
Miguel Ángel Santed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adult Population ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Sequential Design ◽  
Spanish Population ◽  
Panel Survey ◽  
Psychological Consequences ◽  
Qualitative Phase ◽  
The Universe ◽  
Large Representative

The objectives of this study were to analyze the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown in the Spanish population and to identify what population profiles were most affected. The study used a sequential exploratory design. In the qualitative phase, 40 participants were recruited based on theoretically relevant criteria and the saturation of the information provided by the interviews. In the quantitative phase, a large representative sample was applied. The universe considered was the adult population of Spain. A total of 6789 surveys were conducted. Both the analysis of the narratives of the interviews and the responses to the panel survey showed relevant changes in attitudes and mood swings compared to the period prior to lockdown. These changes include dysphoric moods (i.e., experiences of distress such as sadness/depression, anxiety, rage, feeling of unreality, worry, etc.) and also some euphoric moods (i.e., feelings of well-being, happiness, etc.). A higher number of women were affected than men and a greater increase was observed in younger people. The findings of the study may serve as a basis for detecting needs and providing psychological support, as the symptoms detected as the most common are key for the processes of screening at-risk individuals.

scholarly journals A Systematic Literature Review and Head-to-Head Comparison of Social Support and Social Constraint in Relation to the Psychological Functioning of Cancer Survivors

2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 176-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica N Rivera Rivera ◽  
Jessica L Burris
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Social Functioning ◽  
Psychological Functioning ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Constraint ◽  
Multidimensional Concept

Abstract Background Quality of life is a multidimensional concept that includes perceptions of one’s physical, psychological, social, and spiritual functioning, all of which are theorized to be interdependent. The focus of this study is social functioning, which itself is a multidimensional concept that includes social support and social constraint among other things. In cancer survivors, social support receives most of the research attention, but social constraint may have a stronger influence on quality of life. Purpose This systematic literature review evaluates which aspect of social functioning—social support or social constraint—has a stronger relationship with the psychological functioning of cancer survivors. Methods The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed in the identification and review of 32 independent records. Multiple measures of social support and social constraint were used across studies, with most having adequate psychometric properties. Psychological outcomes were divided into (a) general distress, (b) cancer-specific distress, (c) general well-being, and (d) cancer-specific well-being. Results For general and cancer-specific distress, social constraint exhibited a larger association with distress than social support. Similarly, for general well-being, most studies reported a stronger association with social constraint than social support. For cancer-specific well-being, the opposite was true such that associations were stronger for social support than social constraint. Conclusions Results highlight the importance of considering social constraint when examining quality-of-life outcomes like psychological distress and well-being. Findings support social constraint as a target in interventions to reduce cancer survivors’ distress, while social support could be considered in attempts to promote cancer-specific well-being.

Romantic relationships in adults with ADHD: The effect of partner attachment style on relationship quality

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-64
Author(s):  
Katherine Knies ◽  
Elizabeth A. Bodalski ◽  
Kate Flory
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Relationship Quality ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Romantic Relationship ◽  
Insecure Attachment ◽  
Adhd Symptoms ◽  
Anxious Attachment ◽  
Avoidant Attachment ◽  
Romantic Relationship Quality

Prior literature indicates that insecure attachment styles (i.e., anxious or avoidant) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) both have negative impacts on romantic relationships, but relatively little is known about how these factors interact among couples where one partner has ADHD and the other does not. One hundred and fifty-nine partners of adults with significant ADHD symptoms completed measures of their own attachment styles, their partner’s ADHD symptoms, and relationship quality. Anxious attachment was associated with lower romantic relationship quality, but avoidant attachment was associated with more positive relationship outcomes. Results also indicated that the negative effect of ADHD symptoms on romantic relationship quality may be exacerbated by a partner’s high level of anxious attachment. Though insecure attachment styles are generally thought to have a negative impact on romantic relationships, avoidant attachment was generally associated with more positive outcomes in this study. Several possible explanations based on theoretical support are included in the discussion along with clinical applications and future directions.

scholarly journals Why Some People Just “Can’t Get No Satisfaction”: Secure versus Insecure Attachment Styles Affect One’s “Style of Being in the Social World”

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 36
Author(s):  
Willem Verbeke ◽  
Frank Belschack ◽  
Richard P. Bagozzi ◽  
Rumen Pozharliev ◽  
Tsachi Ein-Dor
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Style ◽  
Commercial Bank ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Social World ◽  
Relationship Formation ◽  
Anxious Attachment ◽  
Luxury Goods ◽  
Avoidant Attachment ◽  
The Social

We first seek to explore the relationship between attachment styles of professional financial service customers and their ability to experience customer satisfaction and build relationships with a commercial bank. Secure attached people identify with the commercial bank, feel satisfied and are loyal with the commercial bank. Second, we question whether attachment styles and degrees of satisfaction are also reflected in a capacity to feel pleasure in attachments to luxury products, feel happiness and pro-activeness, develop positive relationships with others, and sleep well for multiple samples of non-commercial customers. Apparently, secure attached people form enjoyable attachments with luxury goods/brands. Equally, in life in general they show a proactive attitude and generosity toward others, and feel low envy. Anxious attachment style relates negatively with appraisal of and relationship formation with commercial banks, negatively with enjoyment and attachment to luxury goods, and negatively with generosity towards people and happiness. In addition, anxious attachment style relates positively with envy towards people and low sleep quality. Avoidant attachment style does not relate with any of the above variables except for a negative association with happiness with life in general. Finally, none of the attachment styles scales relates with the BIS-BAS scale, except that anxious attachment relates with the BIS scale, indicating largely that the attachment system does not function as an approach-avoidance system but helps in homeostatic regulation of stress due to the experience of quiescence with others. By studying how attachment styles affect people in commercial and general social domains we hope to pave the way for further exploration of the fundamental mechanisms that drive secure attached people as opposed to insecure attached people to generally experience positive emotions and outcomes in life. We tentatively suggest that compared to insecure attached people, secure attached people possess a different “style of being in the social world.”

Potential of Brand Personality: Attachment Styles as Moderator

2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 34 ◽  
Author(s):  
LO Ying Tuan ◽  
Huam Hon Tat ◽  
Ahmad Sharifuddin Shamsuddin ◽  
Amran Md Rasli ◽  
Ahmad Jusoh
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Study ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Coming Out ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Brand Personality ◽  
The Other ◽  
Anxious Attachment ◽  
Brand Attachment ◽  
Avoidant Attachment ◽  
The Impact

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of consumer’s attachment styles as a moderator in the impact of brand personality on its brand attachment. This research investigated the preferred brand personality of anxious and avoidant attachment consumer, their likelihood to be attached to that brand and how they respond to any changes in brand personality. A total of 300 students were surveyed. Their attachment style and their response towards sincere and exciting personality and its brand attachment were assessed. Empirical study shows that anxious attachment style consumer preferred sincere brand personality, tends to be attached with it and did not respond to any changes in brand personality.  Avoidant attachment style people on the other hand have a stronger relationship with the exciting brand personality, are not likely to be attached to it and will respond to changes in brand personality. This study implies that marketers should get to know their targeted market’s attachment style prior coming out with the suitable brand personality.

scholarly journals Self-Determination Theory Perspective on Attachment, Need Satisfaction, and Well-Being in a Sample of Athletes: A Longitudinal Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 304-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke Felton ◽  
Sophia Jowett
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Style ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Need Satisfaction ◽  
Insecure Attachment ◽  
Relational Context ◽  
Psychological Need ◽  
Avoidant Attachment ◽  
Mean Differences ◽  
Relational Contexts

The current study aimed to examine whether (a) mean differences and changes in athletes’ attachment style predicted psychological need satisfaction within two diverse relational contexts (coach and parent) and well-being, and (b) mean differences and changes in need satisfaction within the two relational contexts predicted well-being. One hundred and ten athletes aged between 15 and 32 years old completed a multisection questionnaire at three time points over a span of 6 months to assess the main study variables. Multilevel modeling revealed that insecure attachment styles (anxious and avoidant) predicted well-being outcomes at the within- and between-person levels. Avoidant attachment predicted need satisfaction within the parent relational context at both levels, and need satisfaction within the coach relational context at the between-person level. Need satisfaction within both relational contexts predicted various well-being outcomes at the between-person level, while need satisfaction within the parent relational context predicted vitality at the within-person level.

scholarly journals Effects of adult attachment on health outcomes among couples facing ovarian cancer and the mediating role of dyadic coping

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cassandra Crangle
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Adult Attachment ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Dyadic Coping ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Social Emotional ◽  
Anxious Attachment ◽  
Avoidant Attachment ◽  
Dyadic Coping Inventory

Background: Ovarian cancer is commonly diagnosed at a late stage of illness, raising significant challenges to health-related quality of life (QOL). Increasingly, cancer is conceptualized as an interpersonal stressor that significantly impacts patients as well as their spouses. It has been suggested that adult attachment significantly impacts health outcomes by way of dyadic processes. The present study used the actor partner interdependence model (APIM) to examine the dyadic effects of adult attachment and dyadic coping on QOL, and whether dyadic coping mediated the associations between attachment and QOL. Methods: Couples (N=106) facing ovarian cancer were recruited from a comprehensive cancer centre in Toronto, ON. Attachment was measured by the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale – Revised, dyadic coping was measured by the Dyadic Coping Inventory, and QOL was measured by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Treatment. APIM analyses evaluated within person and cross-dyadic effects. Role (patients compared with spouses) was examined as a moderator. Results: There were significant within person effects of anxious attachment on physical, social, emotional, and functional QOL. There were also significant within person effects of avoidant attachment on social, emotional, and functional QOL. Positive and negative dyadic coping demonstrated significant within person effects on social and functional QOL. There were no significant cross-dyadic effects nor was there evidence of moderation by role. The within person association between avoidant attachment and social QOL was significantly mediated by positive dyadic coping. The within person association between anxious attachment and social QOL was significantly mediated by positive and negative dyadic coping. Additionally, there was a significant indirect cross-dyadic effect, such that greater anxious attachment reported by one partner was associated with less positive dyadic coping and subsequently less social QOL reported by the other partner. Discussion: Adult attachment and coping as a couple are important considerations in understanding QOL among both patients and spouses. Intervention strategies to address attachment, and the behavioural system associated with attachment, such as dyadic coping, may be useful in addressing impaired individual well-being. Future studies should consider additional dyadic processes that may account for the negative effects of attachment on QOL such as intimacy.

scholarly journals Going through the lockdown: a longitudinal study on the psychological consequences of the coronavirus pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Salvatore Gullo ◽  
Ilaria Misici ◽  
Arianna Teti ◽  
Michele Liuzzi ◽  
Enrico Chiara
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Normative Data ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Consequences ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Data Points

Coronavirus 2019 pandemic lockdown in Italy lasted for 2 months, 1 week and 2 days. During this long period, one of the longest in Europe, the restrictions produced effects on people’s psychological well-being, with consequences that also continued after lockdown. The purpose of the study is to investigate these effects and how they changed in the general population over a period of time. We are also interested in exploring people’s post-lockdown anxiety and concerns. We conducted an online survey using snowball sampling techniques. The longitudinal study consisted of four administrations covering a period of 10 weeks between April (baseline) and June (last follow-up). Levels of anxiety and depression were assessed by GAD-7 and PHQ-9, coping strategies were assessed by Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS) and social support was assessed by MSPSS. Post-lockdown anxiety was explored by developing a set of ad-hoc questions. PCA was used to determine the principal categories of post-lockdown anxiety/concern resulting from the ad-hoc questions. Longitudinal data, given their nested structure, were analyzed through mixed modeling. Of the 411 responders at baseline, 169 had at least 3 out of 4 data points; the analysis was therefore conducted on this sample. Levels of depression and anxiety were found to be significantly higher in the study sample in comparison with normative samples for each of the fourtime points; levels of coping showed that scores from the study sample were significantly lower than normative data at all-time points. Levels of perceived social support were significantly lower than normative data at the baseline and the first follow-up. The results of the study suggest that the lockdown experience had enduring consequences on the mental health of individuals. Prevention and support interventions to limit the psychological distress caused by COVID-19 should be taken into consideration in countries experiencing a second wave of the pandemic.

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