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Adult attachment styles and psychosis: an investigation of associations between general attachment styles and attachment relationships with specific others

Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology volume 42, pages 972–976 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

Background

If attachment theory is to help inform our understanding of relationship difficulties in people with psychosis, it is first important to understand the composition of attachment networks in this group and how attachment style measured with reference to relationships in general actually relates to attachment in relationships with specific others.

Method

We examined attachment networks and associations between general attachment style and attachment in relationships with parents and psychiatric staff in a sample of 58 patients with psychosis. We assessed attachment dimensions of anxiety and avoidance using the Psychosis Attachment Measure (PAM) and an adapted version of the instrument asking about relationships with specific others.

Results

Patients reported a median of two attachment relationships. Both attachment anxiety and avoidance measured with reference to close relationships in general were positively correlated with attachment in key worker and parental relationships, although levels of attachment anxiety and avoidance did vary across relationships.

Conclusion

Future research should determine factors influencing variations in attachment working models in samples of people with psychosis, as it may be possible to help individuals with insecure attachment styles develop more positive relationships with others.

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Notes

  1. The decision to investigate associations between general and specific attachment was made after we had recruited 38 patients so data were not available for all participants.

  2. Standard and specific-relationship versions of the PAM are available from the first author.

  3. Data for mothers and fathers was combined as only 10 patients reported attachment in paternal relationships. If individuals reported attachment in both mother and father relationships, only the parent who the patient had the most contact with was used in the analysis.

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Acknowledgements

We thank all participants who took part in the studies from the NHS trusts and all the NHS staff who helped with recruitment.

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Affiliations

  1. School of Psychological Sciences, University of Manchester, Rutherford House, Manchester Science Park, Lloyd Street North, Manchester, M15 6SZ, UK

    Katherine Berry, Alison Wearden & Christine Barrowclough

Authors
  1. Katherine Berry
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  2. Alison Wearden
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  3. Christine Barrowclough
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Katherine Berry.

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Berry, K., Wearden, A. & Barrowclough, C. Adult attachment styles and psychosis: an investigation of associations between general attachment styles and attachment relationships with specific others. Soc Psychiat Epidemiol 42, 972–976 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-007-0261-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-007-0261-5

Key words

  • psychosis
  • schizophrenia
  • adult attachment
  • social relationships
  • psychiatric staff