scholarly journals The impact of Attachment Styles and Defense Mechanisms on psychological distress in a non-clinical young adult sample: a path analysis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giacomo Ciocca ◽  
Rodolfo Rossi ◽  
Alberto Collazzoni ◽  
Fiorela Gorea ◽  
Blerina Vallaj ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Path Analysis ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Defense Mechanisms ◽  
Goodness Of Fit ◽  
Path Model ◽  
Global Severity Index ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
The Impact

AbstractIntroductionInsecure attachment styles and immature or neurotic defense mechanisms are related to psychological distress. However, their mutual interaction in influencing psychological distress deserves further investigation.MethodsOne-thousand-one-hundred-twenty-nine University students were evaluated using the Global Severity Index of Symptoms Check List 90-Revised for psychological distress, Relationship Questionnaire for attachment styles and Defense Style Questionnaire for defense mechanisms. Following exploratory analyses, a Path Analysis was performed with psychological distress as outcome.ResultsFearful and preoccupied attachment styles had a substantial impact on psychological distress. About 30% of their effect was mediated by Immature and Neurotic defenses, with the former having the major effect. Dismissing attachment showed no substantial effect on psychological distress. Secure Attachment and Mature Defenses had a small protective effect on psychological distress, but their inclusion in the path model did not improve overall goodness-of-fit. Attachment style and defense mechanisms accounted for nearly 25% of the variance in psychological distress.ConclusionsThe results showed that attachment styles and defense mechanisms have a substantial impact on psychological distress. The effect of attachment style is mediated by defense mechanisms. Individual differences in attachment style and defense mechanisms represent risk factors for psychological distress in young adults.

scholarly journals The impact of attachment styles and defense mechanisms on psychological distress in a non-clinical young adult sample: A path analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 273 ◽  
pp. 384-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giacomo Ciocca ◽  
Rodolfo Rossi ◽  
Alberto Collazzoni ◽  
Fiorela Gorea ◽  
Blerina Vallaj ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Young Adult ◽  
Path Analysis ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Defense Mechanisms ◽  
Adult Sample ◽  
The Impact

Insecure attachment predicts depression and death anxiety in advanced cancer patients

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 308-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharina Scheffold ◽  
Rebecca Philipp ◽  
Susan Koranyi ◽  
Dorit Engelmann ◽  
Frank Schulz-Kindermann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Advanced Cancer ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Death Anxiety ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Physical Symptoms ◽  
Insecure Attachment ◽  
Advanced Cancer Patients

ABSTRACTObjective:The prevalence of depression as well as adjustment and anxiety disorders is high in advanced cancer patients, and research exploring intraindividual factors leading to high psychological distress is underrepresented. Cancer patients' feelings about security and trust in their healthcare providers have a significant influence on how they deal with their disease. The perception of social support is affected by patients' attachment styles and influences their reactions to feelings of dependency and loss of control. We therefore aimed to explore attachment and its association with psychological distress in patients with advanced cancer.Method:We obtained data from the baseline measurements of a randomized controlled trial in advanced cancer patients. Patients were sampled from the university medical centers of Hamburg and Leipzig, Germany. The main outcome measures included the Patient Health Questionnaire, the Death and Dying Distress Scale, the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale, and the Experience in Close Relationships Scale for assessing attachment insecurity.Results:A total of 162 patients were included. We found that 64% of patients were insecurely attached (fearful-avoidant 31%, dismissing 17%, and preoccupied 16%). A dismissing attachment style was associated with more physical symptoms but did not predict psychological distress. A fearful-avoidant attachment style significantly predicted higher death anxiety and depression, whereas preoccupied attachment predicted higher death anxiety only. Overall, insecure attachment contributed to the prediction of depression (10%) and death anxiety (14%).Significance of results:The concept of attachment plays a relevant role in advanced cancer patients' mental health. Healthcare providers can benefit from knowledge of advanced cancer patients' attachment styles and how they relate to specific mental distress. Developing a better understanding of patients' reactions to feelings of dependency and distressing emotions can help us to develop individually tailored advanced cancer care programs and psychotherapeutic interventions.

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.

Loving styles: relationships with personality and attachment styles

2004 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick C. L. Heaven ◽  
Tatiana Da Silva ◽  
Christine Carey ◽  
Janet Holen
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Path Analysis ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Item Pool ◽  
Anxious Attachment ◽  
Personality Dimension ◽  
Personality Predictors ◽  
Personality Item

We investigated the ability of the major personality dimensions, some of their underlying facet scales, and attachment styles to predict primary and secondary loving styles, as conceptualized by Lee. Personality was assessed using the International Personality Item Pool, and attachment styles through an inventory devised by Collins and Read. Respondents were 302 undergraduate students (212 females; 90 males) who participated in the study in exchange for course credit. Results of regression path analysis showed that N was the only personality dimension without direct predictive links to loving styles. Instead, the influence of N was through an anxious attachment style. There were no personality predictors of Agape, and similarities were also observed between these results and those obtained in Hong Kong. The results are discussed with reference to previous studies and some suggestions for further research are also noted. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

scholarly journals The Impact of Attachment Style on the Family Drawings of School-Aged Children

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rossella Procaccia ◽  
Guido Veronese ◽  
Marco Castiglioni
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Style ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Separation Anxiety ◽  
Negative Emotion ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Family Drawings ◽  
Adjustment Difficulties ◽  
Valid Instrument ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Impact

Objective: Primary school children's representations of themselves and their attachment figures were explored by assessing their family drawings. The main aim of the study was to empirically explore differences in the representations of children with secure versus insecure attachment. The study was theoretically informed by attachment theory and methodologically based on widely-used systems for analysing children’s drawings. Method: The Separation Anxiety Test was used to evaluate the attachment styles of 117 children (aged 6-10 years). This led to the identification of three groups, similar in age and gender distribution, with three different attachment styles (secure, anxious-ambivalent and avoidant). Each participant was asked to draw a family and the drawings produced were coded on 8 global scales and evaluated for the presence of 35 specific markers divided into five categories (characteristics of the figures; use of space; completeness of representation; emotional-affective tone; overall characteristics of the representation). Results: The drawings of securely attached children featured more positive markers, associated with a stable and well-integrated sense of self and others, whereas insecure children produced more markers of instability and negative emotion, with some interesting differences between anxious-ambivalent and avoidant attachment styles. Conclusion: Despite its limitations, the study confirmed that family drawings are a valid instrument for evaluating how children represent attachment, thereby facilitating early intervention to prevent later adjustment difficulties.

scholarly journals Multiple Intelligences and Attachment among University Students and Their Influence on Life Satisfaction and Happiness

2018 ◽  
pp. 82-90
Author(s):  
Serpil Aytac ◽  
Nazan Bilgel
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
University Students ◽  
Multiple Intelligences ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Male Students ◽  
Satisfaction With Life Scale ◽  
The Impact

This study is about the types of multiple intelligences and attachment styles among a group of Turkish university students. Participants were 450 students from one public university in Turkey. A demographic and socio-economic questionnaire, Multiple Intelligence Survey, Revised Adult Attachment Scale, Satisfaction with Life Scale and The Oxford Happiness Questionnaire -short version were used as study instruments. Of the 450 students, 63.8% were female and the mean age was 21.24±2.14 years. Bodily intelligence was reported more frequently by male students whereas intrapersonal and logical intelligences were reported at higher rates in female students. Attachment related avoidance was reported by 58.7% of the students. Male students reported more attachment related anxiety, and female students reported more attachment related avoidance. No significant correlations were determined between attachment style and economic status, age, class-year and Grade Point Average of the students. The relationship between students’ intelligence and attachment style was also insignificant. No significant relationship was determined between the happiness and life satisfaction scores of students with different types of intelligences. Female students were found to be significantly happier and satisfied with their lives than male students. Students with a poor economic status had the lowest happiness and life satisfaction scores and the difference was statistically significant. These findings are important to provide a more complete picture about the difficulties experienced by young adults when socially or emotionally adapting to university life. There is much to say regarding the impact of “multiple intelligences”, “attachment styles” and the “subjective well-being” of university students.

scholarly journals Psychosocial factors associated with postpartum psychological distress during the Covid-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luca Ostacoli ◽  
Stefano Cosma ◽  
Federica Bevilacqua ◽  
Paola Berchialla ◽  
Marialuisa Bovetti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Childbirth Experience ◽  
Stress Symptoms ◽  
Epidemic Area ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Trauma, natural and man-made catastrophic events can be predictors of postpartum psychological distress. In a public health response due to coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak, the Italian government imposed a lockdown from March 9 to May 3. This extraordinary situation may have been challenging for maternal psychological health. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of depressive and post-traumatic stress symptoms in women giving birth during the Covid-19 pandemic and its associations with quarantine measures, obstetrical factors, and relational attachment style. Methods Women who gave birth in a high-volume obstetric/gynaecological medical centre located in an epidemic area during the Covid-19 pandemic (March 8 to June 15) were asked to complete an online survey about their childbirth experience and the perceived effect of the pandemic. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and the Relationship Questionnaire (RQ) were administered to assess levels of postpartum depressive and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and relational style of attachment, respectively. Multivariate analysis was applied to identify associations between quarantine measures, childbirth experience, attachment style, and EPDS and IES-R scores.Results The survey was completed by 163 women (response rate 60.8%). The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 44.2% (EPDS cut-off score ≥11) and the PTSS rate was 42.9% (IES-R cut-off score ≥24). Dismissive and fearful avoidant attachment styles were significantly associated with the risk of depression and PTSS, respectively. Perceived pain during birth was a risk factor for postpartum depression. Perceived support provided by healthcare staff was a protective factor against depression and PTSS. Another protective factor against PTSS was quiet on the ward due to the absence of hospital visitors. Conclusion This study reports a high prevalence of postpartum depressive and PTSS in women who gave birth during the Covid-19 pandemic. Postnatal psychological distress seemed to be associated more with the prenatal experience and other individual factors than with the pandemic hospital restrictions. Early detection during pregnancy of an insecure attachment style is fundamental to provide targeted preventive and therapeutic psychological interventions.

scholarly journals Leadership, Mental Toughness, and Attachment Relationship in the World Beach Volleyball Context

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 10748
Author(s):  
Nayara Malheiros Caruzzo ◽  
João Ricardo Nickenig Vissoci ◽  
Andressa Ribeiro Contreira ◽  
Aryelle Malheiros Caruzzo ◽  
Lenamar Fiorese
Keyword(s):  
Path Analysis ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Leadership Style ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mental Toughness ◽  
Secure Attachment ◽  
Attachment Relationship ◽  
Toughness Index ◽  
The World ◽  
The Impact

For a long time, competitive sport has focused only on aspects related to performance. However, studies in social psychology have indicated the importance of focusing on the human development of athletes, which can occur through training environments that promote psychological well-being. Thus, this study aimed to analyze the impact of the coach-athlete attachment style, mediated by the coach’s leadership style, on the mental toughness of athletes in the world beach volleyball context. Elite beach volleyball athletes (n = 65), participants of the World Tour 2018, were part of the study. The Coach-Athlete Attachment Scale (CAAS), Mental Toughness Index (MTI) and Leadership Scale for Sport (LSS) were used as instruments. For data analyses we used polychoric correlation and a bias-corrected factor score path analysis. Path analysis showed that perceived secure attachment was positively associated with athletes’ mental toughness (0.24; 0.31; 0.25), but leadership styles did not mediate this relationship. For athletes with anxious attachment profiles, the perception of autocratic leadership style was associated with athletes’ mental toughness (1.01; p = 0.03), when their interaction style is focused on coaching-instruction. It concludes that the secure attachment relationship can bring increases in levels of athletic mental toughness, whereas for athletes with insecure attachment, the autocratic style was shown to be associated with the highest levels of mental toughness.

scholarly journals Attached at the lips: The influence of romantic kissing motives and romantic attachment styles on relationship satisfaction

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-30
Author(s):  
Danica J. Kulibert ◽  
Elle A. Moore ◽  
Melinda M. Dertinger ◽  
Ashley E. Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Relationship Satisfaction ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Romantic Relationship ◽  
Goal Attainment ◽  
Romantic Attachment ◽  
Relationship Functioning ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Although romantic kissing is an important part of relationship functioning, little research has focused on motives for romantic kissing and how they may relate to other aspects of romantic relationships. To understand how romantic kissing impacts romantic relationship functioning, the current study assessed the relationship between romantic attachment, romantic kissing motives, and relationship satisfaction. Overall, it was hypothesized that (a) those reporting more sexual/explicit kissing motives and fewer goal attainment/insecurity motives would report higher relationship satisfaction, (b) those reporting a more secure attachment style would report higher relationship satisfaction, and (c) the relationship between romantic kissing motives and relationship satisfaction would vary according to one’s romantic attachment styles. Results from a hierarchical linear regression with 286 adults, all of whom were currently in romantic relationships, revealed that sexual/relational (β = 0.25) and goal attainment/insecurity kissing motives (β = -0.35) predicted relationship satisfaction. However, the impact of kissing motives on relationship satisfaction varied according to one’s romantic attachment. Specifically, the influence of sexual/relational motives was only significant for avoidantly attached individuals, whereas the influence of goal attainment/insecurity motives was significant for avoidantly and anxiously attachment individuals. Overall, this suggests that sexual/explicit romantic kissing motives serve to enhance the relationships of insecurely attached individuals, but not securely attached individuals. Furthermore, goal attainment/insecure motives had a negative effect on the relationship satisfaction of insecurely attached individuals, but not securely attached individuals. This study has important implications for both practitioners working with romantic couples and researchers studying romantic relationships.

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