Attachment Styles and Attachment Based Change in Offenders in a Prison Therapeutic Community

Miller, Sarah; Klockner, Karen

doi:10.1080/24732850.2019.1603956

Cited by 10 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…One possibility is that the attachment styles and internal working models of self/others may have changed following the intensive interpersonally-focussed therapy inherent within a residential TC. Similar therapeutic change has been reported in other studies (Taylor et al , 2015; Miller and Klockner, 2019).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

“…An outcome of participation in a TC may be a change in attachment style during the course of therapy (Taylor et al , 2015). A democratic TC within a prison setting found that after one year of treatment there was an increase in secure and a decrease in insecure attachment styles (Miller and Klockner, 2019). It is therefore apparent that although attachment styles may influence motivation and clinical outcomes within TCs, such attachment representations may themselves be amenable to change.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Attachment style and clinical outcome within a DBT-informed Therapeutic Community

Dunlop

McFetridge

2020

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Purpose There is evidence that attachment style and clinical outcomes are related within Therapeutic Communities (TCs). This paper aims to examine any possible relationships between self-reported adult attachment style, therapy programme engagement and measures of psychological distress and dissociation on admission and discharge within a residential TC. Design/methodology/approach Ex-clients of the TC were contacted by post and invited to take part in this service evaluation. Additional data were sourced from a database of routinely collected outcome measures. Of 281 ex-clients, the final sample in this study was N = 32. Findings When attachment style is conceptualised dimensionally, participants identified most strongly with a fearful attachment style, and least with a preoccupied or secure style. A range of attachment styles were reported. A significant association was apparent between self-reported secure attachment and reduced levels of psychological distress upon discharge from the TC. The potential for changes in client attachment patterns following TC membership is discussed. Research limitations/implications The small sample size and correlational nature of this study means that results should be interpreted cautiously. Nevertheless, results are of clinical relevance for inpatient or residential therapy programmes (including TCs). Such programmes should routinely assess client attachment style to ensure appropriate interventions and adaptions are implemented. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, to date, this is the first known study to report on the relationship between self-reported adult attachment style and psychological outcomes specifically for women with self-defeating behaviours within a TC.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Attachment style and clinical outcome within a DBT-informed Therapeutic Community

Dunlop

McFetridge

2020

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“…Furthermore, children of substance using women can be attached securely, indicating the potential to break the cycle of insecure attachment transmission across generations (120). A recent empirical study in a group of prisoners undergoing therapeutic community treatment revealed an increase in secure attachment after one year of treatment (121). Bortolini and Piccinini (122) revealed consistency in mothers’ experiences with their own caregivers characterized by affective, sensitive care and their children’s secure attachment, indicating patterns of attachment can be securely transmitted across generations.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mothering, Substance Use Disorders and Intergenerational Trauma Transmission: An Attachment-Based Perspective

2019

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Background: A growing body of research underlines that interpersonal trauma in childhood leads to heightened susceptibility for substance use disorders (SUDs) in later life. Little research has been conducted on parenting experiences of mothers in recovery from substance use, taking into account their own upbringing as a child and the potential aftermath of interpersonal childhood trauma. Methods: Through in-depth qualitative interviews, 23 mothers with SUDs reflected on parenting experiences and parent-child bonding, related to both their children and parents. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and data were analyzed adopting thematic analysis. Results: Throughout the narratives, consequences of trauma on mothers’ sense of self and its subsequent impact on parenting arose as salient themes. Five latent mechanisms of intergenerational trauma transmission were identified: 1) early interpersonal childhood trauma experiences in mothers; 2) trauma as a precursor of substance use; 3) substance use as a (self-fooling) enabler of parental functioning; 4) continued substance use impacting parental functioning; and 5) dysfunctional parental functioning and its relational impact upon offspring. Discussion: Findings suggest disruptive attachment can increase the vulnerability for SUDs on the one hand, but can be an expression of underlying trauma on the other, hence serving as a covert mechanism by which trauma can be transmitted across generations. Results indicate the need for preventive, attachment-based and trauma-sensitive interventions targeted at disruptive intergenerational patterns.

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“…It has been found that attachment styles activate treatment motivation which in turn produce clinical progress within the TC (Ramos, 2017). Another study also reported positive attachment change in ex-offenders with substance use problems undergoing a TC program (Miller and Klockner, 2019). More recently, it was found that secure attachment is connected to lower psychological distress among TC graduates (Dunlop and McFetridge, 2020).…”

Section: Theoretical Diversities In Therapeutic Communitiesmentioning

confidence: 98%

Unboxing the therapeutic community for addictions: a locus-of-hope theory perspective

Ramos

Bernardo

2022

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Purpose The therapeutic community (TC) is a widely used treatment approach for substance use disorders. Several psychological theories have been used to explain its processes but have put less emphasis on the specific contributions of the person’s cognitive resources. This paper aims to offer a theoretical conceptualization using the locus-of-hope theory which expounds on the person’s goal-directed thinking and how it bolsters the TC process. Design/methodology/approach This paper reviewed contemporary theoretical perspectives on TCs and studies on locus-of-hope theory to provide arguments for locus-of-hope’s utility in understanding TCs. From this review, this paper discusses a formal conceptualization of TCs using the locus-of-hope model. Findings In this conceptualization, the authors explained that the TC becomes a co-agent in between the phrases goal-pursuit by strengthening the individual’s beliefs regarding one’s capability to develop goals together with the will and strategies to attain these important recovery goals. The person’s hopeful thinking boosts the TC protocols in a dynamic fashion. Originality/value This paper offers a locus-of-hope perspective that considers the person’s contributions in bolstering the TC process. Reflections on clinical and research implications were provided. This paper aids further in unboxing of the TC.

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Attachment Styles and Attachment Based Change in Offenders in a Prison Therapeutic Community

Cited by 10 publications

References 40 publications

Attachment style and clinical outcome within a DBT-informed Therapeutic Community

Attachment style and clinical outcome within a DBT-informed Therapeutic Community

Mothering, Substance Use Disorders and Intergenerational Trauma Transmission: An Attachment-Based Perspective

Unboxing the therapeutic community for addictions: a locus-of-hope theory perspective

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