Attachment Classification, Emotion Regulation, and Defense Mechanisms: An Integrative Narrative Review

Attachment style and emotion regulation (ER) patterns intertwine. Securely attached individuals employ more adaptive ER strategies, while individuals with avoidant, preoccupied, and disorganized styles rely on less adaptive strategies. Defense mechanisms are part of an experience-near, observable construct that parallels implicit ER. The evaluation of a patient's defense mechanisms may therefore be a means of identifying and understanding the patient's attachment classification. This article synthesizes recent empirical research and theory to delineate relationships among attachment styles, ER, and defense mechanisms. It then examines how development and culture shape attachment, discusses assessment strategies, and offers clinicians guidance for assessing attachment through a defense mechanism orientation. This clinical technique may assist clinicians in informed assessment and treatment and underscores the benefits of further integration of attachment research with that of defense mechanisms.