Attachment and Social Functioning in Patients with a Psychosis Spectrum Disorder: A Mediation Study

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychology
• Social Science

Background:

• Insecure attachment is linked to impaired social functioning in psychosis spectrum disorders.
• The specific pathways mediating this relationship require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine how anxious and avoidant attachment styles affect social functioning in psychosis patients.
• To assess the mediating roles of psychotic, depressive, and anxiety symptoms in this relationship.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study utilizing structural equation modeling.
• Data collected from 287 patients with psychotic disorders as part of a multicenter cohort study.
• Analysis focused on attachment styles, symptom clusters, and social functioning (role performance satisfaction).

Main Results:

• Depressive symptoms significantly mediated the link between anxious attachment and social functioning.
• The mediation effect of depressive symptoms was stronger for anxious attachment (β = -0.10) than for avoidant attachment (β = -0.04).
• No significant mediation was found for psychotic or anxiety symptoms.

Conclusions:

• Insecure attachment and depressive symptoms are critical factors influencing social functioning in individuals with psychosis.
• Interventions targeting depressive symptoms may improve social functioning in this population.