Adult attachment and health symptoms: The mediating role of emotion regulation difficulties

Abstract

Previous research suggests that insecurely attached individuals may, in some cases, have a higher risk of developing negative health symptoms than securely attached ones. We conducted two studies (Study 1, n = 191; Study 2, n = 216) aimed at broadening this finding. We analysed the relationships between two distinct dimensions of insecure attachment (anxious and avoidant) and several classes of negative physical and mental health symptoms. Additionally, we placed emotion regulation difficulties in the role of potential mediator of these relationships. Our results indicated that both anxious and avoidant attachment were positively related to health symptoms on the level of bivariate correlations. However, when both of them were controlled within one mediation model, it was only attachment anxiety, and not attachment avoidance, that proved to be a significant, positive predictor of most health symptom classes: vegetative, agoraphobic, social phobia symptoms and global symptom severity index (which reflects a broad range of negative health symptoms). These relationships were indeed mediated by emotion regulation difficulties. Our results support the notion that (1) different dimensions of insecure attachment can have differential consequences for physical and mental health, and (2) emotion regulation can be one of the mechanisms that explain the links between attachment and health.

Disorganized attachment predicts body mass index via uncontrolled eating

“…Moreover, this work should inform our broader understanding of the association between attachment orientations and health outcomes [46], models must consider the role of disorganized attachment over and above organised forms of attachment. Clinicians engaged in addressing eating problems and weight management should consider attachment orientations in their patient assessments and be mindful that attachment disorganized individuals are especially likely to engage in uncontrolled eating behaviours that are associated with a higher BMI.…”

Modeling the relationship between attachment styles and somatic symptoms with the mediating role of emotional processing

“…[ 14 ] have pointed out three major mechanisms in this regard; first, attachment insecurity can increase nonspecific vulnerability to stress that predicts the likelihood of experiencing somatic symptoms; second, it reduces access to support by creating a negative impact on one's ability to form and effectively use social support networks, and ultimately, it influences the way of assessing emotional situations and providing emotional response (emotional processing) in individuals in the face of life circumstances. [ 15 ]…”

“…[ 22 ] supports the hypothesis that insecure attachment is highly correlated with dysfunctional emotion processing and affects regulation strategies such as repression, self-blame, and wishful thinking. [ 15 ] These variables are associated with negative health outcomes. In addition, Marganska et al .…”

Propuesta de valores de referencia para la Escala de Dificultades de Regulación Emocional (DERS-E) en población adulta chilena

“…En la actualidad existe amplia evidencia acerca del rol que juegan las DRE en el surgimiento y mantención de diversos problemas de salud física y mental 7 . Las DRE se han asociado a problemas de salud física (hipertensión arterial 8 , problemas cardíacos 9 y cáncer 10 ) y problemas de salud mental (depresión [11][12][13] , trastornos de externalización e internalización 14 , trastornos de personalidad 15 , esquizofrenia 16 , trastornos de ansiedad 17 , trastorno obsesivo-compulsivo 18 , ataques de pánico 19 , trastorno de acumulación 20 , síntomas de estrés postraumático 21 , autolesiones 22 , desórdenes alimentarios 23 y consumo de sustancias 24,25 ).…”

“…Las DRE se han asociado a problemas de salud física (hipertensión arterial 8 , problemas cardíacos 9 y cáncer 10 ) y problemas de salud mental (depresión [11][12][13] , trastornos de externalización e internalización 14 , trastornos de personalidad 15 , esquizofrenia 16 , trastornos de ansiedad 17 , trastorno obsesivo-compulsivo 18 , ataques de pánico 19 , trastorno de acumulación 20 , síntomas de estrés postraumático 21 , autolesiones 22 , desórdenes alimentarios 23 y consumo de sustancias 24,25 ). Tiene particular importancia que antecedentes internacionales revelan que dentro de los problemas de salud mental, la depresión y síntomas depresivos tendrían una prevalencia de hasta 20% de la población 12 , y su curso o aparición tiene una fuerte asociación con la desregulación emocional [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] .…”