Partners’ Attachment Insecurity and Stress Predict Poorer Relationship Functioning During COVID-19 Quarantines

2021 ◽  
pp. 194855062199297
Author(s):  
Nickola C. Overall ◽  
Valerie T. Chang ◽  
Paula R. Pietromonaco ◽  
Rachel S. T. Low ◽  
Annette M. E. Henderson
Keyword(s):  
Relationship Quality ◽  
Family Environment ◽  
Family Cohesion ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Relationship Functioning ◽  
Attachment Avoidance ◽  
Attachment Insecurity ◽  
Relationship Problems ◽  
Ongoing Relationship ◽  
Related Stress

The COVID-19 pandemic presents acute, ongoing relationship challenges. The current research tested how (1) preexisting vulnerabilities assessed prior to the pandemic (attachment insecurity) and (2) stress as couples endured a mandated quarantine predicted residual changes in relationship functioning. Controlling for prequarantine problems, relationship quality, and family environment, greater partners’ attachment anxiety predicted greater relationship problems, lower relationship quality, and a less stable and cohesive family environment when people were experiencing more stress. Greater partners’ attachment avoidance predicted lower problem-solving efficacy and family cohesion. The effects of partners’ preexisting vulnerabilities and pandemic-related stress demonstrate the utility of key models in relationship science in identifying who is at most risk of relationship problems in the unprecedented context of a mandated quarantine. The results emphasize that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on relationship functioning will be shaped by the characteristics of partners with whom people are confined with during the pandemic.

scholarly journals Relationship Functioning During COVID-19 Quarantine

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nickola Overall ◽  
Valerie Chang ◽  
Paula Pietromonaco ◽  
Rachel S. T. Low ◽  
Annette M E Henderson
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Relationship Quality ◽  
Family Environment ◽  
Family Cohesion ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Relationship Functioning ◽  
Attachment Avoidance ◽  
Relationship Problems ◽  
Ongoing Relationship ◽  
Related Stress

The COVID-19 pandemic presents acute, ongoing relationship challenges. The current research tested how (1) pre-existing vulnerabilities assessed prior to the pandemic (attachment insecurity) and (2) stress as couples endured a mandated quarantine predicted residual changes in relationship functioning. Controlling for pre-quarantine problems, relationship quality and family environment, greater partners’ attachment anxiety predicted greater relationship problems, lower relationship quality, and a less stable and cohesive family environment when people were experiencing more stress. Greater partners’ attachment avoidance predicted lower problem solving efficacy and family cohesion. The effects of partners’ pre-existing vulnerabilities and pandemic-related stress demonstrate the utility of key models in relationship science in identifying who is at most risk of relationship problems in the unprecedented context of a mandated quarantine. The results emphasize that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on relationship functioning will be shaped by the characteristics of partners with whom people are confined with during the pandemic.

scholarly journals An Investigation of the Effect of Attachment on Distress among Partners of Patients with Ovarian Cancer and Their Relationship with the Cancer Care Providers

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 2950-2960
Author(s):  
Danielle Petricone-Westwood ◽  
Jacqueline Galica ◽  
Sarah Hales ◽  
Elisa Stragapede ◽  
Sophie Lebel
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Postsecondary Education ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Cancer Care ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Attachment Avoidance ◽  
Attachment Insecurity ◽  
Cross Sectional

Caregivers of patients with ovarian cancer experience distress related to caregiving difficulties within cancer care. Attachment insecurity is a well-known protector of distress, particularly as it relates to support from others. Using multivariate analyses, this study sought to determine the contribution of attachment insecurity and experiences with cancer care on symptoms of depression and anxiety, and investigated whether attachment insecurity moderated the relationship between caregiving experiences and distress. Multiple hierarchical regression analyses were conducted as part of a larger cross-sectional questionnaire study of distress among partners of patients with ovarian cancer. Participants (n = 82) were predominantly male, white, had household incomes over $100,000 and postsecondary education. Caregiving experiences explained 56% of the variance in depression, and 28% of the variance in anxiety. Specifically, lack of time for social relations as a result of caregiving significantly predicted depression and anxiety. Attachment anxiety correlated with both depression and anxiety, but attachment avoidance did not. Neither attachment anxiety nor attachment avoidance significantly contributed to distress variance, and neither moderated any of the relationships between caregiving experiences and distress outcomes. This study highlights the importance for cancer care to recognize the effect of caregiving responsibilities upon caregivers’ mental health, regardless of vulnerability to distress.

scholarly journals Attachment and Mentalizing Abilities in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Agostini ◽  
Eleonora Scaioli ◽  
Andrea Belluzzi ◽  
Massimo Campieri
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Style ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Emotional Disturbances ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Attachment Insecurity ◽  
Human Ability ◽  
Bowel Diseases ◽  
Inflammatory Bowel ◽  
Related Stress

Background. Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are associated with stress, poor quality of life, and attachment insecurity. Mentalization is the human ability to perceive and reason about feelings and psychological dispositions of one’s self and others. The chronic disorders are believed to affect patients’ mentalizing abilities and to determine a shift towards attachment insecurity in patients affected. In this study, the attachment dimensions and mentalization were assessed in IBD patients and healthy controls. Further knowledge about the interplay among IBD, mentalization, and attachment might shed more light into the psychopathological mechanisms leading to insecurity and vulnerability to stress in IBD. Methods. A group of 96 IBD patients and 102 healthy controls completed the attachment style questionnaire (ASQ), the reflective functioning questionnaire (RFQ), and the Eyes test, a performance-based measure of mentalization. Results. Compared to controls, IBD patients have shown more pronounced attachment anxiety and lower scores in the Eyes test. Disease activity was negatively correlated with the Eyes test scores. Conclusion. These findings have suggested a plausible impact of IBD on mentalization abilities and have provided new insights into the interplay between IBD, deficits in mentalization, and attachment insecurity. IBD patients are highly vulnerable to disease-related stress that may promote impairments in mentalization. Low mentalization might play a central role in the development of attachment insecurity and emotional disturbances in IBD. The present study’s results might open new scenarios for psychodynamic approaches to the treatment of the emotional disturbances in IBD based on attachment and mentalization theory.

scholarly journals Self-Compassion and Compassion Towards One's Partner Mediate the Negative Association Between Insecure Attachment and Relationship Quality

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivia C. Bolt ◽  
Fergal W. Jones ◽  
Myriam Rudaz ◽  
Thomas Ledermann ◽  
Chris Irons
Keyword(s):  
Relationship Satisfaction ◽  
Relationship Quality ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Attachment Insecurity ◽  
Self Compassion ◽  
Physical Health Problems ◽  
As Relationship ◽  
Poor Relationship

AbstractThe quality of intimate relationships has been found to be a strong negative predictor for individuals’ mental and physical health problems. A significant predictor of relationship quality is adult attachment insecurity, but the mechanism by which attachment insecurity affects relationship quality needs further investigation. This study investigated whether self-compassion and compassion for one's partner mediated this association. Three hundred and forty-two individuals participated in an online survey assessing attachment anxiety and avoidance, compassionate and uncompassionate attitudes towards self and one's partner, as well as relationship quality and relationship satisfaction. The results showed that low self-compassionate attitude mediated the association between attachment anxiety and poor relationship quality. Further, low compassionate and high uncompassionate attitude towards one's partner mediated the association between attachment avoidance and poor relationship quality. No mediating effect was found for relationship satisfaction. Implications for interventions are discussed.

Relationships Between Adult Attachment Dimensions and Patient-Physician Relationship Quality

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lachlan A. McWilliams
Keyword(s):  
Relationship Quality ◽  
Adult Attachment ◽  
Family Physicians ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Insecure Attachment ◽  
Secure Attachment ◽  
Attachment Avoidance ◽  
Communication Difficulties ◽  
Physician Relationship ◽  
Attachment Dimensions

AbstractPositive associations between attachment insecurity and indicators of poorer patient-physician relationship quality have been found in samples of patients consulting with physicians for a variety of specific medical conditions or needs. The current study was the first to investigate associations between adult attachment characteristics and relationship quality with family physicians. University students (N = 239) completed measures assessing attachment and their relationships with their family physician. Attachment avoidance was associated with poor affective relationship quality and with greater communication difficulties. Attachment anxiety was associated with greater communication difficulties, but was unrelated to affective relationship quality. Those with insecure attachment, particularly those with high levels of avoidance, have poorer relationships with their family physicians than those with more secure attachment.

Distinguishing Dismissing From Fearful Attachment in the Association Between Closeness and Commitment

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 563-572 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoobin Park ◽  
Anik Debrot ◽  
Stephanie S. Spielmann ◽  
Samantha Joel ◽  
Emily Impett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Positive Association ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
The Self ◽  
Relationship Functioning ◽  
Attachment Avoidance ◽  
Internal Conflicts ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Attachment Dimensions

When avoidantly attached individuals are simultaneously high in attachment anxiety, they are inclined to experience strong internal conflicts between seeking and avoiding closeness. This research examined whether the extent to which closeness, assessed as the inclusion of other in the self (IOS), is associated with greater commitment varies within individuals high in attachment avoidance as a result of differences in ambivalence toward maintaining the relationship. In two studies ( N1 = 1,604, N2 = 2,271), we found that the positive association between IOS and commitment was significantly weaker when attachment avoidance was combined with high (vs. low) attachment anxiety. In Study 2, we found lingering relational ambivalence even at high levels of IOS among individuals simultaneously high in attachment avoidance and anxiety, which in turn was related to relatively low commitment. Our findings highlight the role of relational ambivalence in avoidants’ relationship functioning and the need to examine the interplay of the two attachment dimensions.

Associations of Attachment Anxiety and Avoidance With Male- and Female-Perpetrated Sexual Coercion in Romantic Relationships

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 1176-1192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Barbaro ◽  
Andrew M. Holub ◽  
Todd K. Shackelford
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Sexual Coercion ◽  
Romantic Attachment ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Romantic Partner ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Attachment Avoidance ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
Ongoing Relationship ◽  
Attachment Dimensions

Few studies have investigated the associations between romantic attachment dimensions and sexual coercion perpetration. The present study aimed to address methodological limitations in previous studies, and to more accurately identify the associations between romantic attachment and sexual coercion perpetration in romantic relationships. Data from 284 individuals (56% men) were secured via an online self-report survey. Participants completed assessments of romantic attachment to their current romantic partner, and reported the frequency with which they perpetrated 34 acts of sexual coercion against their romantic partner. Attachment anxiety was a positive predictor of sexual coercion perpetration for men and women. Additionally, for men only, the association between attachment anxiety and sexual coercion perpetration was stronger for individuals with greater attachment avoidance. The results of the study present a clearer picture of the associations between attachment and sexual coercion, and accord with modern theoretical perspectives positing that romantic attachment regulates reactions to acute and ongoing relationship threats.

scholarly journals Approach and avoidance motives for touch are predicted by attachment and predict daily relationship well-being

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 256-278
Author(s):  
Brittany K. Jakubiak ◽  
Anik Debrot ◽  
James Kim ◽  
Emily A. Impett
Keyword(s):  
Relationship Quality ◽  
Indirect Effects ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
The Other ◽  
General Study ◽  
Attachment Avoidance ◽  
Approach And Avoidance ◽  
Future Work

Research suggests that touch promotes relationship well-being but has failed to consider motives for touch. We assessed general (Study 1) and daily (Study 2) approach and avoidance motives for touch and tested their precursors and consequences. Controlling for relationship quality and the other motive, greater attachment avoidance predicted lower approach and greater avoidance motives for touch in general but did not predict motives in daily life. Greater attachment anxiety simultaneously predicted greater approach and avoidance motives for touch in both studies suggesting anxiously attached people have ambivalent motives for touch. Critically, one’s own and one’s partner’s approach motives for touch predicted greater daily relationship well-being, whereas own and partner avoidance motives predicted poorer daily relationship well-being. We observed indirect effects linking attachment insecurity to relationship well-being through daily motives for touch. These results underscore the importance of attending to touch motives in future work, including future intervention work.

scholarly journals Volatility in daily relationship quality

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 348-371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley N. Cooper ◽  
Casey J. Totenhagen ◽  
Brandon T. McDaniel ◽  
Melissa A. Curran
Keyword(s):  
Relationship Quality ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Heterosexual Couples ◽  
Attachment Avoidance ◽  
Daily Diaries ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Attachment Orientations ◽  
Relationship Outcomes ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Relationship

Previous research on attachment orientations has focused on how attachment is associated with levels of relationship quality; however, the nature of associations with variability over time ( volatility) on relationship quality remains unclear. Couples who are higher in volatility have poorer relationship outcomes, thus it is important to understand factors that influence volatility. We used 7-day daily diaries with both members of 157 heterosexual couples to analyze associations between actor and partner reports of attachment anxiety and avoidance and gender in associations with both general levels of relationship quality and volatility in daily relationship quality. Overall, we found that regardless of gender, attachment avoidance was linked with decreased levels of relationship quality for both actors and partners. Gender differences in volatility of daily relationship quality emerged such that women’s attachment influenced both their own and their male partner’s volatility. Women’s attachment anxiety was positively associated with volatility for both their own and their partner’s relationship quality. Women’s attachment avoidance was also negatively associated with volatility in their partner’s relationship quality. We discuss how attachment avoidance is a greater predictor for average levels of daily relationship quality, whereas attachment anxiety drives volatility in daily feelings about the relationship. Further, conflict is an important factor to consider in these links between attachment anxiety and volatility in relationship quality; on days when individuals reported greater conflict than usual, they reported lower relationship quality, and this association was stronger for those whose partners were high in attachment anxiety. We explore implications for research and practice.

Threats to Parental and Romantic Attachment Figures' Availability and Adult Attachment Insecurity

2008 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 413-429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas B. Holman ◽  
Richard C. Galbraith ◽  
Nicole Mead Timmons ◽  
April Steed ◽  
Samuel B. Tobler
Keyword(s):  
Adult Attachment ◽  
Romantic Relationship ◽  
Romantic Attachment ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Romantic Partner ◽  
Attachment Avoidance ◽  
Theoretical Idea ◽  
Attachment Insecurity ◽  
Parental Availability ◽  
The Impact

This study tested hypotheses based on the theoretical idea that threats to parental availability would have a direct effect on later adult attachment insecurity and that this relationship would be partially, but not fully, mediated by threats to the availability of a romantic partner. Participants were 1,063 individuals in a married or unmarried romantic relationship. Individuals completed a questionnaire on threats to attachment figures' availability and completed another questionnaire about attachment insecurity (avoidance and anxiety) approximately 1 year later. In both models, the greater the threats to attachment figures' (parents' or current partners') availability, the greater the attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety. Consistent with theorizing in the literature, the impact of remembered threats to parental availability on adult attachment avoidance and anxiety, although not eliminated, was greatly reduced by the inclusion of current partner's availability in the model.

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