scholarly journals Attachment Style, Complicated Grief and Post-Traumatic Growth in Traumatic Loss: The Role of Intrusive and Deliberate Rumination

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
pp. 636-644
Author(s):  
Hyu Jung Huh ◽  
Kyung Hee Kim ◽  
Hee-Kyung Lee ◽  
Jeong-Ho Chae

Objective The present study examines the effects of attachment styles on the grief response and the indirect effect of rumination in parents who lost a child in the Sewol Ferry accident.Methods Bereaved parents (n=81) completed self-report questionnaires evaluating their attachment style (Experience in Close Relationship-Short form), traumatic loss related rumination (Event-Related Rumination Inventory), degree of complicated grief (Inventory of Complicated Grief), and post-traumatic growth (Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory). Data were analyzed using correlation analysis, structural equation modeling, and bootstrapping.Results The indirect effect of event-related intrusive rumination was significant in the relationship between attachment avoidance and complicated grief. The path from attachment avoidance to post-traumatic growth via deliberate rumination was not significant. With respect toattachment anxiety and post-traumatic growth, the indirect effect of deliberate rumination was significant. But the indirect effect of intrusive rumination was not significant in the relationships among attachment anxiety, complicated grief, and post-traumatic growth.Conclusion Individuals with attachment anxiety could obtain post-traumatic growth via deliberate rumination. By contrast, attachment avoidance was associated with the risk of maladaptive grief. Grief interventions should account for individual differences in attachment styles through interventions that manage intrusive rumination and strengthen deliberate rumination.

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 523-560
Author(s):  
Ottilia Klipsch ◽  
Henning Schauenburg ◽  
Christoph Nikendei ◽  
Cord Benecke ◽  
Ulrike Dinger

Introduction: Given the heterogeneity of results in the attentional bias to threatening information in patients with panic disorder, we investigated the attentional bias toward threat and the moderating effect of attachment styles in a female-only sample of panic patients and a nonclinical control group. Methods: Female panic patients (n = 47) were compared to a female control group (n = 47) using a modified Dot Probe Task with body-related and interpersonal threat as well as attachment positive words. Results: An attentional bias toward threat words was not replicated. Furthermore, there was no moderation effect on attentional bias by attachment styles. However, high attachment avoidance was associated with faster reaction times (RT) in attachment positive compared to attachment threat trials in both groups. In the patient group, attachment anxiety was associated with faster RT in panic threat trials compared to attachment positive trials. Anxiously attached controls reacted faster to attachment positive vs. attachment threat trials. Discussion: No attentional bias was found in the present study. However, the findings suggest that attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety differently influence attention responses to trials that include different emotional stimuli in clinical and nonclinical, female participants. Attachment insecurity may modify attention when processing trials including both, threat and positive stimuli.


2018 ◽  
Vol 123 (2) ◽  
pp. 239-251
Author(s):  
Chieko Fujisaki

AEON-HO (Altering emotional organization-holistic operation) contains methods of Naikan therapy and mindfulness. Naikan and mindfulness are originally from Buddhism tradition, and they have a high affinity. AEON-HO was conceptualized to improve attachment issues and the growth of self-actualization, because Naikan and mindfulness are known to be effective for attachment issues but partially if they are used independently. Naikan can approach to attachment avoidance, while mindfulness can approach to attachment anxiety. The primary purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of AEON-HO on attachment styles, self-actualization, and depression by using “attachment style scale the Experiences in Close Relationships inventory–the generalized–other–version (ECR-GO),” “self-actualization scale” translated to Japanese, and “center for epidemiologic studies for depression scale.” Participants have taken these three psychological questionnaires before and after the eight-week program of AEON-HO, and the results of scales were compared. Participants were 36 adults with a mean age of 49 years ( SD = 3.9). Changes in two attachment styles, anxiety and avoidance and depressive state, were observed between pre- and posttest, while there were no significant changes in self-actualization. However, attachment anxiety and self-actualization were correlated negatively in pre- and posttest, while attachment avoidance and self-actualization were correlated negatively only in pretest.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 469-469
Author(s):  
Joshua Novak ◽  
Stephanie Wilson

Abstract A robust body of literature has found birdirectional associations between sleep quality and marital quality in couple relationships (Hasler & Troxel, 2010; Pearlin, 2010). Additionally, dyadic research shows that differences in couples’ bed time routines and habits is associated with mental health outcomes (Chen, 2018), however the literature has not connected them with other marital processes that are mutable and clinically relevant. Attachment theory provides a clinically relevant framework that captures both interpersonal marital processes such as relationship conflict as well intrapersonal processes of individual emotional safety—essentially individuals’ personal strategies to balance closeness and distance in a relationship (Feeney, 2002; Rhodes et al., 2001). The two main attachment styles related to sleep processes are attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety (Collins et al., 2002; Gun, 2015; Troxel, 2007). Utilizing data from 234 couple dyads, we investigated if differences in partners’ bed times is associated with conflict frequency and attachment avoidance using a structural equation modeling approach. We controlled for a number of important factors and tested our hypothesized model against two plausible alternative models. Results revealed that greater difference in partners’ bed times was associated with higher conflict frequency for both husbands and wives through higher men’s attachment avoidance. Our findings highlight previous research on matched vs. unmatched couples on sleep routines, habits, and chronotypes (both morning or night vs. different; Larson et al., 1991) but highlight mutable and clinically relevant constructs for intervention. Implications for health promotion and marital therapy will be discussed.


Author(s):  
Antigonos Sochos ◽  
Sadia Aleem

Abstract Background Previous clinical and theoretical work supports the idea that parental attachment style and complicated grief affect young persons’ mental health, but empirical research investigating their impact on young person’s adjustment to bereavement is lacking. Objective This study investigated the impact of parental attachment style and complicated grief on young person’s adjustment to bereavement. It was hypothesised that a) parental attachment anxiety, avoidance, and complicated grief would moderate the link between bereavement experience and psychological distress in young persons and b) parental attachment style would moderate the link between parental complicated grief and psychological distress experienced by bereaved young persons. Method This was a questionnaire-based case control study, involving two participant groups: 133 parents of young persons who had experienced the loss of the loved one and 101 parents of young persons with no bereavement experience. Results Bereaved young persons experienced greater externalising and internalising problems than the non-bereaved only when they were raised by an anxiously attached parent, but when parental attachment anxiety was low, bereaved children had fewer problems than the non-bereaved. When parental attachment avoidance was low, bereaved children also had fewer externalising problems than the non-bereaved. Among the bereaved, high levels of parental attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance amplified the link between parental complicated grief and child post-traumatic stress, while in the presence of low parental anxiety, complicated grief was negatively associated with an immediate distressing response and numbing-dissociative symptomatology. Conclusions Psychological vulnerability in bereaved young persons was associated with an insecure parental attachment style.


2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 1185-1202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arnold Japutra ◽  
Yuksel Ekinci ◽  
Lyndon Simkin

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between brand attachment and consumers’ positive and negative behaviours. Furthermore, this study examines the moderating effects of attachment styles on these relationships.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on a survey of 432 respondents, and the data are analysed using the structural equation modelling approach.FindingsThis study empirically supports that brand attachment and attachment styles (i.e. anxiety attachment and avoidance attachment) are distinct. Brand attachment influences consumers’ not only positive behaviour (i.e. brand loyalty) but also negative behaviours, such as trash-talking, schadenfreude and anti-brand actions. The findings of the study suggest that only avoidance attachment style moderates the relationships between brand attachment and these consumer behaviours. The link between brand attachment and brand loyalty is attenuated for high-attachment-avoidance consumers. In contrast, the links between brand attachment and trash-talking, schadenfreude and anti-brand actions are strengthened.Practical implicationsThis study assists marketing managers in understanding that a strong brand attachment may result in negative behaviours that can harm a company’s brand image. Thus, building a strong relationship with consumers will not always be beneficial. Companies should be aware of the consequences of building relationships with consumers who have a high level of attachment anxiety and/or avoidance.Originality/valueThis paper highlights that brand attachment not only influences brand loyalty behaviour but also three negative behaviours: trash-talking, schadenfreude and anti-brand actions. Moreover, the links between brand attachment and negative behaviours are strengthened when consumers have a high level of attachment avoidance.


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatahyah Yahya ◽  
Jocelyn Ng Xiao Huix ◽  
Nor Mazlina Ghazali ◽  
Azzahrah Anuar ◽  
Aina Razlin Mohammad Roose ◽  
...  

This research was aimed to study the relationship between attachment style and relationship quality among young couples. A correlational research design was adopted to answer the objectives of this study. A total of 257 students of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), Sarawak participated in this study. Two types of questionnaire were used in this study; the Experience in Close Relationship (ECR) to measure the attachment styles, and Couples Satisfaction Index (CSI) to measure the relationship satisfaction of the couples. The results showed that there was a significant relationship between attachment style and relationship quality among the young couples in UNIMAS. Attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety had a significant effect on the relationship quality of the young couples. It is suggested for future studies to consider selecting the samples by using simple random sampling as the targeted population would be able to represent the whole population and the result would be more accurate. Keywords: Attachment avoidance; attachment anxiety


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason P. Martens ◽  
Jessica L. Stewart

Abstract Little research exists on how partners of sex offenders are perceived. Using attachment theory, we hypothesised that one's attachment would generalise to perceptions of sexual offenders and their partners. One hundred and six British adults’ attachment styles were assessed, as well as perceptions of sex offenders and their partners. Generally, perceivers’ attachment avoidance was associated with positive perceptions of both partners and offenders, while attachment anxiety was associated with negative perceptions of partners but positive perceptions of sex offenders. Perceptions of sex offenders and their partners were highly correlated and negative in nature, and sex offenders were more negatively perceived.


2008 ◽  
Vol 36 (10) ◽  
pp. 1341-1351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tonggui Li ◽  
Jia Li ◽  
Qiyan Dai

This study investigated the relationship between adult attachment, social support, and depression of post-stroke patients. A total of 100 post-stroke patients were recruited to complete 4 questionnaires, which include 2 widely used measurements of adult attachment – the Relationship Questionnaire (Bartholomew & Horowitz, 1991) and the Experiences of Close Relationships Inventory (Brennan, Clark, & Shaver, 1998) – to measure patients' attachment style, the Social Support Inventory (Xiao, 1994) measuring four aspects of social support, and the Beck Depression Inventory (Beck, 1967) measuring their depression level. The results suggested that patients differ in adult attachment styles and varied significantly in all indices of social support and depression. Secure subjects got higher scores in social support and lower scores of depression. Their depression level had significant positive correlations with attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety, and was negatively correlated to all indices of social support. Furthermore, both attachment-anxiety and subjective social support can predicate the depression level of poststroke patients.


2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 184-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yangu Pan ◽  
Dajun Zhang ◽  
Yanling Liu ◽  
Guangming Ran ◽  
Zhaojun Teng

Abundant evidence has demonstrated a relationship between adult attachment and the experience of one’s own pain. However, few studies have investigated the associations between adult attachment and perception of others’ pain. The current studies examined the effects of attachment style and security priming on the perception of others’ pain. In Study 1, we explored the influence of avoidant and anxious attachment styles on the perception of pain in pictures representing pain or no pain. The results indicated that individuals high on anxiety and low on avoidance (i.e., preoccupied attachment style) reported more pain intensity and unpleasantness for painful pictures; individuals high on both anxiety and avoidance (i.e., fearful attachment style) reported less pain intensity for painful pictures. In Study 2, we examined the effects of security priming and attachment style on the perception of pain in pictures representing pain or no pain by adopting a security priming paradigm. The results suggested that security priming attenuated perceived pain intensity for painful pictures for individuals with high attachment anxiety. In Study 3, we used another well-validated security priming paradigm; results indicated that security priming reduced perceived pain intensity for pain pictures among individuals high on anxiety and low on avoidance (i.e., preoccupied attachment style) but increased perceived pain intensity for painful pictures among individuals high on both anxiety and avoidance (i.e., fearful attachment style). Directions for future research, clinical implications, and limitations of the present studies are discussed.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte Krahé ◽  
Mariana von Mohr ◽  
Antje Gentsch ◽  
Lisette Guy ◽  
Chiara Vari ◽  
...  

AbstractAffective touch supports affiliative bonds and social cognition. However, it remains unknown whether pre-existing models of social relating influence the perception of affective touch. Here, we present the first study (N=44) to examine how individual differences in attachment styles relate to the perception of affective touch, as well as to a different non-social modality of interoception, namely cardiac perceived accuracy. Using the gold standard assessment of adult attachment (Adult Attachment Interview), we found that insecure attachment was associated with reduced pleasantness discrimination between affective vs. non-affective, neutral touch. Acknowledging the different traditions in measuring attachment, we also used a well-validated self-report questionnaire that pertains to explicit representations of current close relationships. Using this measure, we found that higher scores on an attachment anxiety dimension (but not an attachment avoidance) were associated with reduced pleasantness discrimination between affective vs. non-affective, neutral touch. Attachment patterns (in both measures) were not related to cardiac perception accuracy. These results corroborate and extend previous literature on the affectivity of touch and its relation with affiliative bonds and social cognition. Given that attachment was not related to perceived cardiac accuracy, these findings point to the specificity of the relationship between affective touch and attachment.


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