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Attachment, continuing bonds, and complicated grief following violent loss: testing a moderated model
Joseph M Currier1, Jennifer E F Irish, Robert A Neimeyer
1a Psychology Department , University of South Alabama , Mobile , Alabama , USA.
Death Studies
|January 1, 2015
Summary
Attachment security influences bereavement adjustment. Continuing bonds (CBs) correlate with complicated grief (CG), but attachment style moderates this link, suggesting tailored interventions for bereaved individuals.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Bereavement Studies
- Attachment Theory
Background:
- Attachment security and continuing bonds (CBs) are recognized as crucial for bereavement adjustment.
- The interaction between attachment styles and CBs in relation to grief outcomes remains underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how attachment-related insecurities (anxiety, avoidance) and CBs influence complicated grief (CG) in young adults bereaved by violent death.
- To examine the moderating role of attachment styles on the relationship between CBs and CG.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 195 young adults bereaved by violent causes (homicide, suicide, accidents) within the past two years.
- Measurement of attachment-related anxieties and avoidance, CBs to the deceased, and CG symptomatology.
Main Results:
- Continuing bonds (CBs) were found to be concurrently associated with greater complicated grief (CG) symptomatology.
- Attachment style moderated the CB-CG relationship: CBs were less predictive of CG in high-anxiety/low-avoidance individuals and most predictive in high-avoidance/low-anxiety individuals.
Conclusions:
- Attachment style plays a significant role in how continuing bonds (CBs) affect complicated grief (CG).
- Clinical interventions should consider individual attachment styles when deciding whether to emphasize or de-emphasize CBs in bereavement therapy.
- Tailoring interventions based on coping styles may improve therapeutic outcomes for bereaved individuals.
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