Attachment insecurity and restrictive engulfment in college student relationships: the mediating role of relationship satisfaction

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ezgi Toplu-Demirtaş ◽  
Christine Murray ◽  
Zeynep Hatipoglu-Sümer
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
College Students ◽  
Relationship Satisfaction ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Insecure Attachment ◽  
Psychological Aggression ◽  
Dating Relationships ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Avoidant Attachment ◽  
Controlling Behaviors

Purpose Studies on restrictive engulfment (RE) – a subtype of psychological aggression in intimate relationships – have focused either on insecure attachment or relationship satisfaction, not both. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to investigate relationship satisfaction as a potential mediator of the associations between anxious and avoidant attachment and RE perpetration among college students. Design/methodology/approach A sample of 322 college students (178 women, 137 men, and seven other gender-identified) completed the experiences in close relationship inventory, relationship assessment scale, and RE subscale of the multidimensional measure of emotional abuse. Findings Among the sample, 89.3 and 90.5 percent of the college women and men, respectively, reported to have used isolating, restricting, monitoring, and controlling behaviors. The results of structural equation modeling revealed that all direct paths except for that from avoidant attachment to RE were significant. Moreover, significant indirect paths were identified from anxious and avoidant attachment to RE via relationship satisfaction. Research limitations/implications The results of this study should be interpreted with consideration of the study’s limitations. First, the data were drawn from a convenience sample of Turkish college students. Second, the design of the study is correlational; therefore, we cannot assume causality. Finally, this study utilized self-report and retrospective data. Practical implications Though the findings are preliminary, they may inform college counselors and other mental health practitioners about the nature of RE within college students’ dating relationships. College students who are unhappy with their dating relationships but still in those relationships (i.e. they choose not to leave) should be assessed for whether they are the perpetrators and/or recipients of psychological aggression, especially in light of the high rates of this form of aggression in the current and previous studies. Furthermore, assessing psychological dating aggression perpetrators for insecure attachment styles may help mental health professionals who work with college students, envisage the sessions toward areas in the need of improvement, such as their views of themselves and others. Self-esteem, feelings of insecurity and inadequacy in relationships, and dependency can be worked with these clients. Social implications The results of this study also have implications for the prevention of psychological aggression before it occurs. The need for prevention programs is evident in the high rates of psychologically controlling behaviors among college students. It may be useful to implement campus wide programs to raise awareness regarding psychological aggression, such as through events, seminars, posters, flyers, and talks with student groups. Originality/value Despite the limitations of this study, its findings offer insight into the factors that influence the perpetration of psychological aggression within dating relationships among college students. Adult attachment theory offers a useful lens for understanding the possible driving forces behind college students’ controlling behaviors toward their dating partners. In particular, college students who demonstrate an insecure attachment style – and especially an anxious attachment style – combined with low levels of relationship satisfaction appear to be at a high risk for perpetrating RE behaviors.

Relations between Attachment, Resilience, and Earned Security in Japanese University Students

2014 ◽  
Vol 115 (1) ◽  
pp. 279-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuko Shibue ◽  
Makiko Kasai
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Insecure Attachment ◽  
Internal Working Model ◽  
Japanese University ◽  
Internal Working ◽  
Avoidant Attachment ◽  
Resilience Scale ◽  
Earned Security ◽  
Positive Correlations

This study investigated the relations between attachment, resilience, and earned security in Japanese university students. It was hypothesized that resilience would have a positive relationship with attachment and that people who had an insecure attachment style but high resilience would also have high earned security. An earned security scale was developed, based on the Naikan thought scale and attachment theory. The earned-security scales, a resilience scale, and an internal working model scale were administered to 343 university students. Three trends were apparent: (1) positive correlations between secure attachment scores and resilience scores; (2) negative correlations between insecure ambivalent attachment scores and resilience scores, but people classified in the ambivalent attachment cluster and high resilience group had higher earned security; and (3) avoidant attachment scores had negligible correlations with resilience and earned security.

scholarly journals Is attachment style in early childhood associated with mental health difficulties in late adolescence?

BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (S1) ◽  
pp. S15-S15
Author(s):  
Philippa Clery ◽  
Angela Rowe ◽  
Marcus Munafò ◽  
Liam Mahedy
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Late Adolescence ◽  
Insecure Attachment ◽  
Secure Attachment ◽  
Childhood Attachment ◽  
Mental Health Difficulties ◽  
Self Harm

AimsIdentifying factors that contribute to mental health difficulties in young people as early in life as possible are needed to inform prevention strategies. One area of interest is attachment. Although existing research has suggested an association between insecure attachment styles and mental health difficulties, these studies often have small sample sizes, use cross-sectional designs, and measure attachment as a discrete variable at a single point or use romantic relationship attachment as a proxy for childhood attachment. It is also unclear whether these associations persist into late adolescence. In this large prospective study we aimed to determine whether an insecure attachment style measured at repeated points in early childhood, is associated with depression and self-harm at 18 years.MethodWe used data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children cohort. Mothers completed attachment related questionnaires when their child was 18, 30, and 42 months old. Offspring depression and lifetime self-harm was assessed at 18 years in clinic using the Clinical Interview Schedule-Revised. Attachment was derived as a continuous latent variable in a structural equation modelling framework. Logistic regression was performed on participants with complete attachment data (n = 7032) to examine the association between attachment style and depression and self-harm, with adjustment for potential confounders. Differential dropout was accounted for using multiple imputation.ResultWe found some evidence for an association between a more insecure attachment style in childhood, and a diagnosis of depression and life-time self-harm at age 18. In the fully adjusted imputed model, a one standard deviation increase in insecure attachment was associated with a 13% increase in the odds of depression (OR = 1.13; 95%CI = 1.00 to 1.27) and a 14% increase in the odds of self-harm at age 18 (OR = 1.14; 95%CI = 1.02 to 1.25), for children who had more insecure attachment in early childhood, compared with children who had more secure attachment.ConclusionThis is the largest longitudinal study to examine the prospective association between childhood attachment and depression and self-harm in late adolescence. Our findings strengthen the evidence suggesting that a childhood insecure attachment style is associated with mental health difficulties in late adolescence. Policies and interventions to support parenting behaviours that foster the development of secure attachment styles, or attachment-based therapies to improve attachment quality, could help reduce depression and self-harm in adolescence/young adulthood.Philippa Clery is supported by the Elizabeth Blackwell Institute for Health Research at the University of Bristol and the Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Fund.

Cyberstalking Victimization and Perpetration among Greek College Students

2017 ◽  
pp. 247-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Argyroula Kalaitzaki
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
College Students ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
The Impact

Cyberstalking is a rapidly growing phenomenon, which is becoming more common among youth nowadays. The study aimed at investigating: 1) the prevalence, behaviors, and tactics of both victims and perpetrators among a sample of Greek undergraduate students, 2) the correlates of victimization and perpetration with personality, attachment style, and relating to others, and 3) the impact of cyberstalking on victims' mental health. Results showed that 23.9% of the students were victims and 9% were perpetrators, with females, disproportionately both experiencing and inflicting cyberstalking. Negatively close relating (i.e., intrusive, restrictive and possessive relating) increased the risk of cyberstalking perpetration, whereas negatively distant relating (suspicious, avoidant, and self-reliant relating) decreased the risk of cyberstalking victimization. Agreeableness decreased the risk of perpetration. Mother's affectionless control increased the risk of both perpetration and victimization and mother's neglectful parenting increased the risk of perpetration only.

scholarly journals Insecure Attachment and Other Help-Seeking Barriers among Women Depressed Postpartum

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (11) ◽  
pp. 3887
Author(s):  
Emily Cacciola ◽  
Elia Psouni
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Style ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Insecure Attachment ◽  
Treatment Programs ◽  
Entire Family ◽  
Relational Experiences ◽  
Avoidant Attachment ◽  
Seeking Behavior

When untreated, postpartum depression (PPD) can severely, negatively affect maternal health, child development, and the wellbeing and functioning of the entire family. Yet, despite screening and treatment programs for PPD, many women who experience depression with onset in the postpartum year do not communicate their symptoms. Negative relational experiences early in life, such as not receiving sensitive help and support when needed, often result in so-called insecure attachment styles, and there is evidence that these may contribute to the development and maintenance of PPD. However, the role of insecure attachment styles in non-help-seeking is unknown for this group. Using mixed quantitative and qualitative methodology, we identified help-seeking barriers of women who experienced depression with onset in the postpartum year but who had not sought help for their depression (N = 37), and explored links to their attachment orientations as assessed through both self-reported attachment style and narrative based attachment script assessment. The sample was non-normative regarding attachment, with an over-representation of avoidant attachment styles. Help-seeking barriers varied systematically with the mother’s adult attachment style. Specifically, convictions of a strong self and lack of trust in healthcare professionals constituted a common barrier among women with avoidant attachment styles, while unrealistic expectations about motherhood constituted a barrier for women with secure attachment styles. This new knowledge on how barriers to communicating symptoms and seeking help when suffering from PPD vary systematically with attachment orientation can help formulate individualized, and therefore more efficient, approaches to addressing non-help-seeking behavior in women who suffer in silence.

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 Daily Responsiveness, Expectations, and Self–disclosure: How the Average Levels and Within–person Variability of Three Relationship Components Mediate Personality–Relationship Transactions in Romantic Couples

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 367-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janina Larissa Bühler ◽  
Rebekka Weidmann ◽  
Jenna Wünsche ◽  
Robert Philip Burriss ◽  
Alexander Grob
Keyword(s):  
Relationship Satisfaction ◽  
Change Score ◽  
Insecure Attachment ◽  
Romantic Couples ◽  
Personality Psychology ◽  
Self Disclosure ◽  
Male Couples ◽  
Avoidant Attachment ◽  
Perceived Responsiveness ◽  
The Relationship

The associations between couple members’ personality and their relationship satisfaction can be conceptualized as reciprocal transactions. To better understand these transactions, we focused on both partners’ interpersonal vulnerabilities (i.e. neuroticism, low self–esteem, and insecure attachment); daily emotional, cognitive, and behavioural relationship components (i.e. perceived responsiveness, positive expectations, and self–disclosure); and relationship satisfaction. Specifically, we examined whether the average levels and within–person variability of the relationship components mediated the transactions between interpersonal vulnerabilities and relationship satisfaction. Data came from 689 female–male couples aged 18 to 81 years who participated in three measurement occasions across 12 months, including a 14–day diary phase. We used mediated dyadic bivariate latent change score models to test the level–change and change–change transactions and mediations. The findings partly supported our hypotheses: Couple members with interpersonal vulnerabilities had lower average levels (but not higher within–person variability) of the relationship components, and less satisfied couple members had lower average levels and higher within–person variability of these components. The lower average levels but not the variability mediated between a lower level of relationship satisfaction and an increase in avoidant attachment. No other mediations were observed. We discuss the importance of studying daily relationship components for better understanding reciprocal transactions in couples. © 2020 European Association of Personality Psychology

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.

Committed Dating Relationships and Mental Health Among College Students

2013 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 176-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah W. Whitton ◽  
Eliza M. Weitbrecht ◽  
Amanda D. Kuryluk ◽  
Michael R. Bruner
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
College Students ◽  
Dating Relationships

scholarly journals Preschoolers Attachment to the Mother and its Impact on Mental Health

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 169-185
Author(s):  
E.V. Kuftyak ◽  
J.A. Zadorova
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Emotional Disturbance ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Behavioral Problems ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Insecure Attachment ◽  
Secure Attachment ◽  
Emotional Symptoms ◽  
Child Attachment ◽  
Attachment To Mother

The research shows influence of attachment to mother on psychological health of pre-school children. 163 preschoolers aged 5 to 7 years examined. The evaluation of different areas of attachment of child to mother was held using "Mother-child attachment style measure questionnaire" (E.V. Pupyreva, 2007), the psychological health of children was measured by "Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire"(E.R. Slobodskaya et al., 2005). It has been found that by the end of pre-school age the perception of mother in the capacity of support source is becoming noticeable for boys. Shown that in children who demonstrate insecure attachment, registered emotional symptoms and internal problems, meanwhile children with secure attachment type are following the prosociality in behavior. Concluded that the act of reliable attachment (acceptance of a child by mother, emotional sensibility of mother) is the important predictor of mental health. Insufficient support of children by mother and small need of mother presence increase possibility of the emotional disturbance and the behavioral problems.

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