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Attachment Theory and Pain

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Improving Patient Treatment with Attachment Theory

Abstract

From his first conceptualisation of attachment theory, Bowlby recognised the relationship between attachment and pain, and described pain as one of the triggers of the attachment system. Over the last 10 years, attachment theory has been investigated in relation to acute and experimental pain, various painful conditions, and outcomes from pain treatment programs. It has been considered in relation to pain experienced by adults, adolescents, and children. Insecure attachment has also been conceptualised as a risk factor for the development of chronic pain in the face of acute pain experiences. Attachment theory provides a useful lens through which to view the assessment and treatment of pain, informs research, and opens the field to exciting new possibilities. In this chapter, the literature on the associations between pain and attachment will be reviewed in order to understand how an attachment framework informs our understanding, and management, of pain. Special emphasis will be given to the Attachment-Diathesis Model of Chronic Pain.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia

    Pamela J. Meredith PhD, BA(Hons), BSc, BOccThy

Authors
  1. Pamela J. Meredith PhD, BA(Hons), BSc, BOccThy
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Correspondence to Pamela J. Meredith PhD, BA(Hons), BSc, BOccThy .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Mount Sinai Hosp. , Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    Jonathan Hunter

  2. Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Mount Sinai Hosp. , Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    Robert Maunder

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Meredith, P.J. (2016). Attachment Theory and Pain. In: Hunter, J., Maunder, R. (eds) Improving Patient Treatment with Attachment Theory. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-23300-0_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-23300-0_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-23299-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-23300-0

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