Attachment & Psychopathologies

Attachment & Psychopathologies

1. 1. Mikulincer & Shaver - 2007

   • Maladjustment in attachment = psychological vulnerability
   • Trends between attachment style and specific psychopathologies
   • Insecure attachment not sufficient as a cause, but contribute

2. 2. Life Events & Attachment

   • Harris. Brown & Bifulco (1990) - Early childhood separation & depression
   • Cummings & Cicchetti (1990) Increased risk if already insecure

3. 3. Individual Differences & Vulnerabilities

   • Secure: Inner resource for managing negative emotions
     • Less likely to succumb to maladptive states
   • Anxious: no down regulation of emotion & intense distress after threat
     • Unmanageable, and fuels depressive reactions
   • Avoidance: Defensive facade of security and composure, blocking access to emotions
     • Leaves suppressed, and feel inadequate to cope

4. 6. Attachment Style & Depression/Anxiety

   • Mikulincer & Shaver, 2007: under 100 studies = Anxious attachment related to depression
     • Less clear about avoidant - more consistent with fearful avoidance rather than dismissing
       • i.e. might be about the anxious aspects
   • Hagga et al. (2002) showed attachment insecurity as a predictor in depression
     • depressed mood does not predict insecurity
   • Mikulincer & Shaver (2007) Spider-Phobic prime

5. 7. Mechanisms for attachment insecurity & Depression and Anxiety (Woodward et al.)

   • Emotion Regulation
     • Wei et al. (2005)
     • Torquati & Raffaelli (2004)
   • Cognitive
     • Williams & Riskind (2004)
   • Interpersonal
     • Evaire (2014)

6. 4. Eating Disorders

   • Cole-Detke & Kobak (1996) ED = avoidant deactivation
   • Orzolek-Kronner (2002) ED = Anxious Proximity Seeking
   • Armstrong & Roth (1989) Separation Anxiety & ED

7. 5. Psychosis & Schizophrenia

   • Bowlby (1980) avoidance = segregated mental system
   • Liotti (1992) Frightening experiences w/ parent = incompatible IWM
   • Ogawa et al (1997) avoidant 1yr = dissociative symptoms @ 17/18yrs
   • Dozier et al. (1991) avoidant deactivating = schizophrenia diagnosis
   • Tait et al. (2004) anxiety + avoidance = bad coping & psychotic episodes