Adult attachment style. II: Its relationship to psychosocial depressive-vulnerability

Bifulco, Antonia, Moran, P.M., Ball, C. and Lillie, A.

(2002)

Bifulco, Antonia, Moran, P.M., Ball, C. and Lillie, A. (2002) Adult attachment style. II: Its relationship to psychosocial depressive-vulnerability. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 37 (2).

Our Full Text Deposits

Full text access: Open

Full Text - 221.31 KB

Links to Copies of this Item Held Elsewhere

Link to Publisher Copy

Abstract

Background A range of studies show adult
attachment style is associated with depressive-vulnerability
factors such as low self-esteem, poor support and
childhood adversity. However, there is wide inconsistency
shown in the type of insecure style most highly associated.
Few studies have examined attachment style in
relation to clinical depression together with a range of
such factors in epidemiological series.The present study
uses an interview measure of adult attachment which
differentiates type of attachment style and degree of insecurity
of attachment, to see: (a) if it adds to other vulnerability
in predicting depression and (b) if there is
specificity of style to type of vulnerability. Method Two
hundred and twenty-two high-risk and 80 comparison
women were selected from questionnaire screenings of
London GP patient lists and intensively interviewed.The
Attachment Style Interview (ASI) differentiated five
styles (Enmeshed, Fearful, Angry-dismissive, Withdrawn
and Standard) as well as the degree to which attitudes
and behaviour within such styles were dysfunctional
(‘non-standard’).Attachment style was examined
in relation to low self-esteem,support and childhood experience
of neglect or abuse, and all of these examined
in relation to clinical depression in a 12-month period.
Results The presence of any ‘non-standard’ style was significantly
related to poor support, low self-esteem and
childhood adversity. Some specificity of type of style
and type of vulnerability was observed. Logistic regression
showed that non-standard Enmeshed, Fearful and
Angry-dismissive styles, poor support and childhood
neglect/abuse provided the best model for clinical depression.
Conclusion Non-standard attachment in the
form of markedly Enmeshed, Fearful or Angry-dismissive
styles was shown to be associated with other depressive-
vulnerability factors involving close relationships,
self-esteem and childhood adversity and added to
these in modelling depression.

Information about this Version

This is a Published version
This version's date is: 02/2002
This item is not peer reviewed

Link to this Version

https://repository.royalholloway.ac.uk/items/d1b39105-16dd-276f-9deb-54b798e53ecc/1/

Item TypeJournal Article
TitleAdult attachment style. II: Its relationship to psychosocial depressive-vulnerability
AuthorsBifulco, Antonia
Moran, P.M.
Ball, C.
Lillie, A.
Uncontrolled Keywordsattachment style, self-esteem, support, childhood adversity
DepartmentsResearch Groups and Centres\Health and Social Care\ Lifespan Research Group
Faculty of History and Social Science\Health and Social Care
Faculty of Science\Psychology

Identifiers
doi10.1007/s127-002-8216-x

Deposited by () on 23-Dec-2009 in Royal Holloway Research Online.Last modified on 23-Dec-2009

References

References
1. Ainsworth M, Blehar M,Waters E,Wall S (1978) Patterns of attachment:
a psychological study of the strange situation.
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates,Hillsdale, NJ
2. Alexander PC (1993) The differential effects of abuse characteristics
and attachment in the prediction of long-term effects of
sexual abuse. J Interpersonal Violence 8: 346–362
3. Andrews B, Brown GW (1988) Social support, onset of depression
and personality: An exploratory analysis. Soc Psychiat Psychiatr
Epidemiol 99–108
4. APA (1987) Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders
– DSM-IIIR (3rd edn revised). American Psychiatric Association,
Washington DC
5. Bartholomew K,Cobb RJ, Poole JA (1997) Adult attachment patterns
and social support processes. In: Pierce GR, Lakey B (eds)
Sourcebook of social support and personality.The Plenum series
in social/clinical psychology. Plenum Press, New York, pp.
359–378
6. Bifulco A,Bernazzani O,Moran PM,Ball C (2000) Lifetime stressors
and recurrent depression: preliminary findings of the Adult
Life Phase Interview (ALPHI). Soc Psychiat Psychiatr Epidemiol
35: 264–275
7. Bifulco A,Brown GW (1996) Cognitive coping response to crises
and onset of depression. Soc Psychiat Psychiatr Epidemiol 31:
163–172
8. Bifulco A,Brown GW,Harris TO (1994) Childhood Experience of
Care and Abuse (CECA): a retrospective interview measure. J
Child Psychol Psychiat 35: 1419–1435
9. Bifulco A, Brown GW, Lillie A, Jarvis J (1997) Memories of childhood
neglect and abuse: corroboration in a series of sisters. J
Child Psychol and Psychiat 38: 365–374
10. Bifulco A, Brown GW,Moran P, Ball C, Campbell C (1998a) Predicting
depression in women: the role of past and present vulnerability.
Psychl Medicine 28: 39–50
11. Bifulco A, Lillie A, Ball B,Moran P (1998b) Attachment Style Interview
(ASI). Training manual. Royal Holloway, University of
London
12. Bifulco A, Moran P, Ball C, Bernazzani O (2002) Adult Attachment
style. I: Its relationship to clinical depression. Soc Psychiat
Psychiatr Epidemiol 37: 50–59
13. Bowlby J (1973) Attachment and loss: vol 2. Separation: anxiety
and anger. Basic Books,New York
14. Bowlby J (1977) Aetiology and psychopathology in the light of
attachment theory. B J Psychiat 130: 201–210
15. Brown GW, Andrews B, Harris TO, Adler Z, et al. (1986a) Social
support, self-esteem and depression. Psychol Medicine 16:
813–831
16. Brown GW, Bifulco A, Harris T, Bridge L (1986b) Life stress,
chronic subclinical symptoms and vulnerability to clinical depression.
J Affect Disord 11: 1–19
17. Brown GW, Bifulco AT, Andrews B (1990) Self-esteem and depression:
III. Aetiological issues. Soc Psychiat Psychiatr Epidemiol
25: 235–243
18. Finlay-Jones R, Brown GW, Duncan-Jones P, Harris TO,Murphy
E, Prudo R (1980) Depression and anxiety in the community.
Psych Medicine 10: 445–454
19. Griffin DW, Bartholomew K (1994) Models of the self and other:
Fundamental dimensions underlying measures of adult attachment.
J Personality Soc Psychol 67: 430–445
20. Hammen CL, Burge D, Daley SE, Davila J, et al. (1995) Interpersonal
attachment cognitions and prediction of symptomatic responses
to interpersonal stress. J Abnormal Psychol 104: 436–443
21. Harris T, Bifulco A (1991) Loss of parent in childhood, attachment
style, and depression in adulthood. In: Murray-Parkes C,
Stevenson-Hinde J,Marris P (eds) Attachment across the life-cycle.
Routledge, London,New York
22. Harris TO, Brown GW, Bifulco A (1987) Loss of parent in childhood
and adult psychiatric disorder: the role of social class position
and premarital pregnancy. Psych Medicine 17: 163–183
23. Harris TO, Brown GW, Bifulco AT (1990) Depression and situational
helplessness/mastery in a sample selected to study childhood
parental loss. J Affective Disorders 20: 27–41
24. Henderson AS,Brown GW (1988) Social support: the hypothesis
and the evidence. In: Burrows H (ed) Handbook of Social Psychiatry.
Elsevier Science Publishers B. V. (Biomedical Division)
25. Holmes J (1993) John Bowlby and Attachment theory.Routledge,
London & New York
26. Kessler RC, Magee WJ (1993) Childhood adversities and adult
depression: basic patterns of association in a US national survey.
Psychol Medicine 23: 679–690
27. Kobak RR,Hazan C (1991) Attachment in marriage: effects of security
and accuracy of working models. J Personality Soc Psychol
60: 861–869
28. Lewinsohn PM, Steinmetz JL, Larson DW, Franklin J (1981) Depression-
related cognitions: antecedent or consequent? J Abnormal
Psychol 90: 213–219
29. McCarthy G (1999) Attachment style and adult love relationships
and friendships: a study of a group of women at risk of experiencing
relationship difficulties. B J Medical Psychol 72: 305–321
30. Mickelson KD,Kessler RC, Shaver PR (1997) Adult attachment in
a nationally representative sample. J Personality Soc Psychol 73:
1092–1106
31. Mikulincer M, Nachshon O (1991) Attachment styles and patterns
of self-disclosure. J Personality Soc Psychol 61: 321–331
32. Murphy B, Bates GW (1997) Adult attachment style and vulnerability
to depression. Personality Individual Diffs 22: 835–844
33. O’Connor P, Brown GW (1984) Supportive relationships: fact or
fancy? J Soc Personal Relations 1: 159–175
34. Quinton D, Pickles A, Maughan B, Rutter M (1993) Partners,
peers, and pathways: assortative pairing and continuities in conduct
disorder.Develop Psychopath 5: 763–783
35. Rohde P, Lewinsohn PM, Seeley JR (1994) Are adolescents
changed by an episode of major depression? J American Acad
Child Adolescent Psychiat 33: 1289–1298
36. Simpson JA, Rholes WS,Nelligan JS (1992) Support seeking and
support giving within couples in an anxiety-provoking situation:
the role of attachment styles. J Personality Soc Psychol 62:
434–446
37. Whiffen VE, Judd ME, Aube JA (1999) Intimate relationships
moderate the association between childhood sexual abuse and
depression. J Interpersonal Violence 14: 940–954
38. Wing JK, Cooper JE, Sartorius N (1974) The measurement and
classification of psychiatric symptoms: an instruction manual
for the Present State Examination and CATEGO programme.
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

Details