Self-Schema, Attachment Style, and Treatment Outcome of Patients in an Opiate Maintenance Treatment Unit

The aim of this study was to explore self-schemas and attachment style among patients in a methadone or buprenorphine maintenance treatment program of opiate dependence, in relation to treatment outcome (relapse in substance use). The study included 84 patients (21 women and 63 men) in a psychiatric clinic in Malmö, Sweden, providing maintenance treatment of opiate dependence. Three self-report instruments were employed, Young Schema Questionnaire Short version (YSQ-S) and Young Parenting Inventory (YPI) for studying self-schemas and Experiences in Close Relationships–Relationship Structures questionnaire (ECR-RS) for studying attachment style. Demographical data and relapse in substance abuse were registered. The study demonstrated, unsurprisingly, that an insecure attachment style was more common in the group of patients compared to available general population reference data. Significant correlations were found between attachment style and core beliefs about the self (self-schemas). Memories of parenting experiences from childhood (YPI) showed correlations with ongoing self-schemas (YSQ-S). Treatment outcome, defined as relapses in substance abuse, was associated to a minor degree with self-schemas but showed no correlation with attachment style. Patients who did not work or study had more maladaptive self-schemas and insecure attachment style, and a higher incidence of relapse in abuse than patients who were working or studying.

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Measuring attachment and parental bonding in psychosis and its clinical implications

Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences ◽

10.1017/s2045796014000730 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 25 (2) ◽

pp. 142-149 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

S. Mathews ◽

J. Onwumere ◽

S. Bissoli ◽

M. Ruggeri ◽

E. Kuipers ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Attachment Theory ◽

Attachment Style ◽

Attachment Styles ◽

Parental Bonding ◽

Insecure Attachment ◽

Self Report ◽

Future Research ◽

Clinical Implications ◽

Term Outcome ◽

Long Term Outcome

Background.Attachment theory proposes that psychological functioning and affect regulations are influenced by the attachment we form with others. Early relationships with parents or caregivers lay the foundations for attachment styles. These styles are proposed to influence how we relate to others during our life can be modified by the relationships and events we experience in our lifespan. A secure attachment style is associated with a capacity to manage distress, comfort with autonomy and the ability to form relationships with others, whereas insecure attachment can lead to dysfunctional relationships, emotional and behaviour avoidance. Attachment theory provides a useful framework to inform our understanding of relationship difficulties in people with psychosis. This paper aims to complement recent systematic reviews by providing an overview of attachment theory, its application to psychosis, including an understanding of measurement issues and the clinical implications offered.Method.A narrative review was completed of the measures of attachment and parental bonding in psychosis. Its clinical implications are also discussed. The paper also explores the link between insecure attachment styles and illness course, social functioning and symptomatology. The following questions are addressed: What are the key attachment measures that have been used within the attachment and psychosis literature? What are the results of studies that have measured attachment or parental bonding in psychosis and what clinical implications can we derive from it? What are some of the key questions for future research from these findings in relation to the onset of psychosis research field?Results.The most commonly used measures of attachment in psychosis research are reviewed. Self-report questionnaires and semi-structured interviews have mainly been used to examine attachment styles in adult samples and in recent years comprise a measure specifically developed for a psychosis group. The review suggests that insecure attachment styles are common in psychosis samples. Key relationships were observed between insecure, avoidant and anxious attachment styles and psychosis development, expression and long-term outcome.Conclusions.Attachment theory can provide a useful framework to facilitate our understanding of interpersonal difficulties in psychosis that may predate its onset and impact on observed variability in outcomes, including treatment engagement. Greater attention should be given to the assessment of attachment needs and to the development of interventions that seek to compensate for these difficulties. However, further investigations are required on specifying the exact mechanisms by which specific attachment styles impact on the development of psychosis and its course.

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Psychopathological Organizations and Attachment Styles in Patients with Fear of Flying: A Case Study

The Open Psychology Journal ◽

10.2174/1874350101306010020 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 20-27 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Guido Veronese ◽

Rossella Procaccia ◽

Diego Romaioli ◽

Gianpiero Barola ◽

Marco Castiglioni

Keyword(s):

Attachment Style ◽

Attachment Styles ◽

Clinical Work ◽

Insecure Attachment ◽

Self Report ◽

Control Group ◽

Fear Of Flying ◽

And Gender ◽

Experimental Group

Objectives: The scope of the study is to identify the leading “organization of meaning” in patients affected by aviophobia and the related attachment style. Specifically we hypothesized that participants with fear of flying would predominantly display a phobic organization of meaning, associated with an anxious-ambivalent attachment style. Methods: 150 adults, divided between an experimental group (FOF) and a control group (CON), completed three research instruments: two self-report questionnaires assessing attachment style (AAQ and ASQ) and the self-characterization, a qualitative constructivist tool. Results: The insecure attachment style prevailed in aviophobics rather than control group. Socio-economic and gender differences were found. The vocabulary used by the group with flying phobia featured a system of meaning referring to “freedom” family semantics. Conclusions: Attachment style appears to be a necessary but insufficient condition for predicting fear of flying. A greater role in the disorder is played by the organization of patients' personality, as argued by socio-constructionist and constructivist authors. Implication for clinical work and psychotherapy are discussed.

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Exploring How UK Adults' Attachment Style in Romantic Relationships Affects Engagement in Controlling Behaviours

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2021.649868 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Molly C. Gilbert ◽

Robert Blakey

Keyword(s):

Romantic Relationships ◽

Attachment Style ◽

Adult Attachment ◽

Attachment Styles ◽

Clinical Sample ◽

Interpersonal Relationship ◽

Insecure Attachment ◽

Self Report ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Anxious Attachment

Copious studies have identified a link between disorganised attachment and engagement in controlling caregiving or controlling punitive behaviours. Studies have suggested that consistently engaging in these behaviours can cause difficulties within relationships and contribute to the development of a personality disorder. Most of the literature thus far has focused on engagement in controlling behaviours by children with a disorganised attachment style, despite there being theoretical grounds to suggest they may also be used by adults and across all types of insecure attachment. This study aimed to address these gaps by looking at adult attachment style and engagement in controlling behaviours in romantic relationships, across all insecure attachment styles; avoidant, anxious and disorganised. The current study recruited a non-clinical sample; specifically, 149 English-speaking adults, living in the UK, between the ages of 18 and 77 years old (M = 34.28, SD = 14.90). The participants answered an anonymous online questionnaire containing four self-report measures which assessed the participants' attachment security and organisation, caregiving style and engagement in punitive behaviours. The results indicated that participants who scored higher in disorganised attachment were more likely to use controlling punitive behaviours in their romantic relationships. Moreover, participants who reported a more insecure-anxious attachment style were more likely to use compulsive caregiving behaviours in their romantic relationships. In contrast, participants who reported a higher insecure avoidant attachment style were less likely to use compulsive caregiving behaviours in their romantic relationships. These results have implications for adult attachment theory and aid the understanding of some of the behaviours that can be harmful within romantic relationships. The findings could be used to help at-risk individuals develop healthy interpersonal relationship going forward.

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Interactive Influences of Narcissism and Self-Esteem on Insecure Attachment in Early Adolescence

The Journal of Early Adolescence ◽

10.1177/0272431617704955 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 38 (7) ◽

pp. 966-987

Author(s):

Meenakshi Menon ◽

Harriet C. A. Moyes ◽

Christina M. Bradley

Keyword(s):

Attachment Style ◽

Attachment Styles ◽

Self Esteem ◽

Insecure Attachment ◽

Self Report ◽

Adolescent Boys ◽

Avoidant Attachment ◽

Relationship Partners ◽

Close Relationship ◽

Preoccupied Attachment

We hypothesized that in adolescence, maladaptive narcissism interacts with low self-esteem to predict a preoccupied attachment style ( attachment for self-affirmation hypothesis), and with high self-esteem to predict an avoidant attachment style ( attachment for self-enhancement hypothesis). We expected gender differences in narcissistic adolescents’ attachment strategies, with girls more likely to be motivated to self-affirm, and boys more likely to self-enhance. Early adolescents in England ( N = 306, 156 girls, 150 boys, [Formula: see text] age = 13.38 years) responded to self-report measures of narcissism, self-esteem, and attachment styles to mother and a friend. Results supported the attachment for self-enhancement hypothesis only. For adolescent boys (but not girls) with high self-esteem, narcissism was associated with higher avoidant attachment toward the mother and a friend. The results suggest that maladaptive narcissism might derail normative separation-individuation processes in adolescent boys, thus contributing to their adoption of an avoidant attachment style with close relationship partners.

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Insecure Attachment and Suicidal Behavior in Adolescents

Crisis ◽

10.1027/0227-5910/a000273 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 35 (6) ◽

pp. 426-430 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Arielle H. Sheftall ◽

Sarah J. Schoppe-Sullivan ◽

Jeffrey A. Bridge

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Attachment Style ◽

Suicidal Behavior ◽

Attachment Styles ◽

Conditional Logistic Regression ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Insecure Attachment ◽

Self Report ◽

Attachment Avoidance ◽

Attachment Insecurity

Background: Suicide among adolescents is an important public health problem. One risk factor for youth suicidal behavior that has been underexplored is insecure attachment. Aims: To investigate the association between attachment avoidance/anxiety and suicidal behavior in an adolescent sample. Method: This study examined attachment insecurity in 40 adolescents who had attempted suicide and 40 never-suicidal demographically matched youths. Adolescents completed self-report measures of attachment style, family alliance, and depressive symptoms. Results: Suicide attempters reported significantly higher attachment avoidance and anxiety. Attachment avoidance, but not anxiety, predicted suicide attempt status in a conditional logistic regression analysis that controlled for depressive symptoms and family alliance. Conclusion: Future research should determine the relative utility of attachment insecurity in prospectively predicting suicide attempts and investigate potential mediators and moderators of this association. Implications for clinicians working with suicidal youth with insecure attachment styles are discussed.

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ATTACHMENT SECURITY AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN OLDER-ADULT MARRIAGES

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.3368 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S925-S925

Author(s):

Sumaiyah U Syed ◽

Joan K Monin

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Older Adult ◽

Attachment Style ◽

Attachment Security ◽

Attachment Anxiety ◽

Insecure Attachment ◽

Self Report ◽

Anxious Attachment ◽

Avoidant Attachment ◽

Actor Partner Interdependence Model

Abstract Attachment theory emphasizes attachment security, providing and receiving communication of safety and emotional support, as one of the most fundamental needs in close relationships across the lifespan. Having an insecure attachment style, anxious or avoidant attachment, has been related to depressive symptoms in mostly young adult marriages. This study examined the interpersonal associations between attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, and depressive symptoms in 98 older adult couples, using self-report measures. The Actor Partner Interdependence model was used to analyze the data. Results show that one partner’s anxious attachment was significantly positively associated with their own greater depressive symptoms (β=2.10, p=0.000). This effect was stronger for husbands than for wives (β=1.13, p=0.002). Results remained when controlling for age, physical functioning, marital length, and socio-demographics. There were no significant cross-partner associations. Findings suggest that attachment anxiety may be particularly impactful for depressive symptoms in husbands.

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Characterizing Couple Dysfunction in Borderline Personality Disorder

Journal of Personality Disorders ◽

10.1521/pedi_2018_32_388 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 34 (2) ◽

pp. 181-198

Author(s):

Annemarie Miano ◽

Isabel Dziobek ◽

Stefan Roepke

Keyword(s):

Borderline Personality Disorder ◽

Personality Disorder ◽

Attachment Style ◽

Attachment Styles ◽

Romantic Relationship ◽

Borderline Personality ◽

Insecure Attachment ◽

Self Report ◽

Group Differences ◽

Relationship Functioning

Relationship dysfunction is a key criterion of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Nevertheless, little is known about the characteristics of romantic relationship functioning in BPD. In this study, couples in which the women were diagnosed with BPD (BPD couples) and healthy control couples (HC) were compared in their perceived relationship characteristics (e.g., relationship quality) and interpersonal experience variables (e.g., attachment). The hypothesis was tested that insecure attachment styles account for group differences in relationship characteristics. Variables were measured by self-report. Romantic relationships were appraised as more negative and conflictual by both members of BPD couples compared to HC. The perception of women with BPD was often more negative than that of their male partners, indicating potential biases in BPD patients' relationship evaluation. Insecure attachment styles only partially explained group differences in relationship characteristics, showing that attachment style is one, but not the only predictor of decreased relationship functioning in BPD couples.

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