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The Relationship Between Adult Attachment and Complicated Grief: A Systematic Review.
Victoria Russ1, Lusia Stopa1, Katy Sivyer1
1University of Southampton, Southampton, Hampshire, UK.
Omega
|May 31, 2022
Summary
Attachment insecurity, specifically attachment anxiety, consistently predicts complicated grief in bereaved adults. Attachment avoidance also links to complicated grief, though less reliably, impacting clinical practice for vulnerable individuals.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Bereavement Studies
Background:
- Attachment insecurity, encompassing anxiety and avoidance, is theorized to impede adaptive recovery from bereavement, leading to complicated grief.
- Existing research presents inconsistent findings regarding the precise role of attachment patterns in complicated grief.
- This review synthesizes current evidence to clarify the relationship between adult attachment styles and complicated grief.
Approach:
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of 22 cross-sectional and longitudinal studies involving 5149 participants, published between 2003 and 2020.
- Studies were selected based on their investigation of attachment patterns (anxiety, avoidance) in adults experiencing complicated grief.
- Data synthesis focused on identifying consistent associations between attachment dimensions and complicated grief symptoms.
Key Points:
- A consistent association was found between higher levels of attachment anxiety and increased symptoms of complicated grief.
- Higher levels of attachment avoidance were also linked to complicated grief symptoms, but this association was less consistent across studies.
- Insecure attachment histories appear to confer vulnerability to developing complicated grief following bereavement.
Conclusions:
- Attachment anxiety is a significant predictor of complicated grief, highlighting its clinical importance.
- Attachment avoidance's relationship with complicated grief warrants further investigation, particularly in diverse populations.
- Clinical interventions for complicated grief should consider assessing and addressing attachment insecurity in bereaved individuals.
- Future research should prioritize longitudinal designs and explore experiences in non-Western contexts and among men.
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