The relationship of attachment insecurity to subjective stress and autonomic function during standardized acute stress in healthy adults

Maunder, Robert G.; Lancee, William J.; Nolan, Robert P.; Hunter, Jonathan; Tannenbaum, David

doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2005.08.013

Cited by 150 publications

(132 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Thus, our experimental data are in line with mechanism 1 in Maunder and Hunter's model. Our results further agree with recent findings on the influences of anxious attachment on psychological stress responses [30] and with the interpretation of secure attachment as an anxiety-regulating mechanism in animals and in humans [27].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

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Adult attachment and social support interact to reduce psychological but not cortisol responses to stress

Ditzen

Schmidt

Strauß

et al. 2008

Journal of Psychosomatic Research

188

144

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Objective: Adult attachment has been suggested to mediate the effect of social support on stress protection. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of adult attachment and social support on psychological and endocrine responses to psychosocial stress.Methods: Sixty-three healthy men who were married or cohabiting were randomly assigned to receive either instructed social support from their partner or no social support before being exposed to a standardized psychosocial stressor (Trier Social Stress Test). Attachment was determined using the Experiences in Close Relationships -Revised questionnaire (ECR-R). State anxiety, mood, and salivary cortisol levels were repeatedly assessed before and after stress.Results: Secure attachment was associated with stronger decreases in state anxiety levels following stress exposure. More importantly, the combination of social support and secure attachment exhibited the lowest anxiety levels after stress (interaction effect). Social support alone reduced cortisol responses to stress, whereas secure attachment did not influence cortisol concentrations.Conclusion: This first study on the interaction of adult attachment and social support in terms of psychological and endocrine stress responses concurs with previous studies suggesting an important protective role of attachment for psychological stress responsiveness. However, attachment did not directly moderate cortisol responses to acute stress. ABSTRACT Objective:Adult attachment has been suggested to mediate the effect of social support on stress protection.The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of adult attachment and social support on psychological and endocrine responses to psychosocial stress. Methods:Sixty-three healthy men who were married or cohabiting were randomly assigned to receive either instructed social support from their partner or no social support before being exposed to a standardized psychosocial stressor (Trier Social Stress Test). Attachment was determined using the Experiences in Close Relationships -Revised questionnaire (ECR-R). State anxiety, mood, and salivary cortisol levels were repeatedly assessed before and after stress. Results:Secure attachment was associated with stronger decreases in state anxiety levels following stress exposure. More importantly, the combination of social support and secure attachment exhibited the lowest anxiety levels after stress (interaction effect). Social support alone reduced cortisol responses to stress, whereas secure attachment did not influence cortisol concentrations. Conclusion:This first study on the interaction of adult attachment and social support in terms of psychological and endocrine stress responses concurs with previous studies suggesting an important protective role of attachment for psychological stress responsiveness. However, attachment did not directly moderate cortisol responses to acute stress.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

“…In a recent study, Maunder and colleagues [30] addressed paths 1 and 2 of their theory, investigating the influence of attachment security on subjective responses and heart rate variability to standardized stress.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adult attachment and social support interact to reduce psychological but not cortisol responses to stress

Ditzen

Schmidt

Strauß

et al. 2008

Journal of Psychosomatic Research

188

144

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Secure base behaviour of the parent was not signifi cantly associated with parasympathetic reactivity, although the results were in the expected direction. These results correspond to studies with young children and adults that found that attachment security was related to increased parasympathetic reactivity (Burgess et al, 2003;Maunder et al, 2006). It was remarkable that secure base behaviour during the fi rst reunion was also associated with preceding parasympathetic reactivity during the fi rst alarm.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

“…Infants with an insecure avoidant attachment relationship with their parents showed impaired parasympathetic functioning 4 years later (Burgess, Marshall, Rubin, & Fox, 2003). Moreover, insecure attachment classifi cations in adults were related to impaired parasympathetic regulation (Maunder, Lancee, Nolan, Hunter, & Tannenbaum, 2006). Parasympathetic increases would therefore be associated with social engagement behaviours indicative of using the parent as a secure base.…”

Section: Parent-child Interactionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Physiological reactivity to stress and parental support: comparison of clinical and non‐clinical adolescents

Willemen¹,

Goossens²,

Koot³

et al. 2008

Clin Psychology and Psychoth

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An Alarm Stress Task was developed to study affect regulation in the context of parent-child interactions in adolescents (mean age = 12.72, standard deviation = 2.06) with (n = 20) and without (n = 20) mental health problems. Changes in heart rate (HR), preejection period (PEP) and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) were used as indicators of affect regulation. HR increased, and PEP and RSA decreased signifi cantly in reaction to a suggested failure on a simple task, indicating that this procedure induced affective arousal in adolescents. During reunion with the parent, RSA increased signifi cantly. Support seeking on reunion was associated with stronger parasympathetic reactivity during stress and reunion, consistent with the model that the parasympathetic system is involved when affect is regulated by social engagement. Quality of parent-adolescent interactive behaviour was overall lower in the clinical sample. Individual and relationship-based processes of affect regulation may be simultaneously assessed, highlighting the continuing importance of the parent-child relationship in adolescence for affect regulation and mental health.

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“…We tested two opposing hypotheses. First, we anticipated that those insecurely attached may report greater reductions in perceived stress following MBSR because they have generally higher stress levels (e.g., Maunder, Lancee, Nolan, Hunter, & Tannenbaum, 2006;Mikulincer & Florian, 1998;Mikulincer, Florian, & Weller, 1993). We also anticipated that the group-based, social nature of the intervention may itself present stresses to those insecurely attached, with the consequence that such individuals may show a higher program dropout rate and less change in stress levels from pre-to postintervention compared to securely attached individuals.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on Perceived Stress: Preliminary Evidence for the Moderating Role of Attachment Style

2009

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The current research investigated whether adult attachment style moderated the effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) participation on levels of perceived stress. Study completing participants (secure group n = 65; insecure group n = 66) completed pre-and postintervention self-report assessments of perceived stress. The insecure group reported significantly higher stress levels prior to MBSR participation, but both groups showed significant pre-post intervention declines in perceived stress. Compared to the secure group, the insecure group also reported marginally lower perceived stress following MBSR participation. Study findings support the efficacy of MBSR for stress reduction across attachment style. Findings also suggest that MBSR participation may provide slightly greater stress reduction benefits for insecurely attached individuals.

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The relationship of attachment insecurity to subjective stress and autonomic function during standardized acute stress in healthy adults

Cited by 150 publications

References 43 publications

Adult attachment and social support interact to reduce psychological but not cortisol responses to stress

Adult attachment and social support interact to reduce psychological but not cortisol responses to stress

Physiological reactivity to stress and parental support: comparison of clinical and non‐clinical adolescents

The Role of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on Perceived Stress: Preliminary Evidence for the Moderating Role of Attachment Style

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