An exploratory study of associations between adult attachment, health service utilisation and health service costs

The Relationship between Adult Attachment and Mental Health Care Utilization: A Systematic Review

“…Most studies (15/18, 83%) had clear information on diagnoses of mental disorders or mental health concerns. 20,[24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37] The remaining 3 articles used a broad definition of mental health (e.g., 'a mental health concern') 38,39 or enrolled individuals following a suicide attempt and/or potentially traumatic event. 40 Ten different questionnaires/ scales were used to measure attachment.…”

“…In general, the 18 studies examined a wide range of mental health treatment utilizations. Their classification included 8 studies on treatment engagement, 25,26,28,31,35,[37][38][39] 4 studies on treatment participation, 20,31,34,40 and 7 studies on treatment completion. 24,27,29,30,32,33,36 The research findings are summarized below according to the specific treatment utilization category researched.…”

“…The results were correlative, and the cost of treatment was not reported. 20 However, in a study investigating the relationship between attachment and primary care visit costs, preoccupied individuals had the highest costs while fearful individuals had the lowest, over a 1-year period. 10 Specifically, preoccupied individuals cost 43% more to treat in primary care settings than fearful individuals.…”

“…19 Few studies have investigated the relationship between attachment and other aspects of mental health treatment, such as treatment seeking, compliance, and treatment costs. 20 There is a lack of synthesis and critical evaluation of findings pertaining to the relationship between attachment and mental health utilization. This systematic review aims to explore the relationship between adult attachment and any type of mental health treatment utilization and to discuss issues existing in the current stage of the literature.…”

A Qualitative Exploration of the Use of Attachment Theory in Adult Psychological Therapy

“…Such changes are likely to be hugely challenging, although increasing interest in attachment theory may help to push the agenda for change. Recent evidence that people with insecure attachment use services more and incur higher costs also provides economic support for this argument (Berry, Roberts, Danquah & Davies, ).…”