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Lutzman M, Sommerfeld E. Mental pain as a mediator in the association between avoidant attachment and suicidal ideation among older men. Aging Ment Health 2024:1-8. [PMID: 38456825 DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2024.2323957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES In the present study, our aim was to deepen the understanding of suicidality in older men by adopting a biopsychosocial approach. The study focused on older men as they face an elevated risk of suicide, surpassing not only other age groups but also exhibiting higher rates compared to women. We examined the contribution of mental pain as a mediator in the association between attachment avoidance and suicidal ideation among older men, taking into consideration the severity of their physical illnesses. METHODS Participants were 200 men in Israel, aged ≥65 years, living in the community and without cognitive impairment. Data collection was based on self-report measures of suicidal ideation (Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation, BSSI), attachment (Experience in Close Relationships, ECR-R), mental pain (Orbach and Mikulincer Mental Pain Scale, OMMP), and the severity of physical illnesses (Cumulative Illnesses Rating Scale, CIRS). RESULTS Mental pain was found to mediate the association between attachment avoidance and suicidal ideation, but only among participants with higher levels of physical illnesses. CONCLUSIONS Mental pain should be considered as a complication of an avoidant coping strategy, which increases the risk of suicide among older men, especially those suffering from significant physical illnesses. The theoretical and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mira Lutzman
- Department of Psychology, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
- Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
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Wang Y, Cao X, Li F, Wang D. When Collaborating in Constructive Task With Spouse: Attachment Orientation Predicts Exploratory Behavior Among Older Couples. Front Psychol 2021; 12:628412. [PMID: 34220607 PMCID: PMC8245056 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.628412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
In order to examine the function of the attachment system in later life, this study investigated the relationships between attachment orientation and exploratory behavior in a collaborative constructive activity with one’s spouse among older adults. In total, 49 older couples completed a collaborative constructive task, and their behaviors were videotaped. Each participant’s exploratory behavior (i.e., engagement, enjoyment, and distress) was coded by independent raters. The results revealed older adults highly engaged in the collaborative activity. In addition, based on the actor-partner interdependence model, the results indicated that attachment avoidance positively predicted the individuals’ enjoyment as well as their partners’ distress during the collaborative activity. The current findings extend the literature regarding the effects of attachment on exploration from early adulthood to later life, from the workplace to family life, and from individual’s own behavior to collaborative situation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Wang
- Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiancai Cao
- Key Research Base of Humanities and Social Sciences of the Ministry of Education, Academy of Psychology and Behavior, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China.,Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Social Science Laboratory of Students' Mental Development and Learning, Tianjin, China
| | - Fengzhan Li
- Department of Military Medical Psychology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Dahua Wang
- Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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Almdahl IS, Martinussen LJ, Agartz I, Hugdahl K, Korsnes MS. Inhibition of emotions in healthy aging: age-related differences in brain network connectivity. Brain Behav 2021; 11:e02052. [PMID: 33543596 PMCID: PMC8119855 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Successful inhibition of distracting emotions is important for preserving well-being and daily functioning. There is conflicting evidence regarding the impact of healthy aging on emotional inhibition, and possible age-related alterations in the neuronal underpinnings of emotional interference processing are unexplored. METHODS Thirty younger (mean age 26 years; 15 women) and 30 older (mean age 71 years; 13 women) healthy adults performed a face-word emotional Stroop task while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. A resting-state scan was acquired for calculating the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations as an estimate of vascular reactivity. Comparisons of brain activation during the task were assessed in a whole-brain, voxel-wise analysis, contrasting congruent, and incongruent conditions. The canonical regions of the frontoparietal, salience, dorsal attention, and default mode networks were used as seed regions for assessing functional connectivity within and between large-scale brain networks. Task performance was evaluated using response accuracy and response time. RESULTS The older adults had longer response times and lower task accuracy than the younger adults, but the emotional interference effect was not significantly different between the groups. Whole-brain analysis revealed no significant age-related differences in brain activation patterns. Rescaling the data for estimated variability in vascular reactivity did not affect the results. In older adults, there was relatively stronger functional connectivity with the default mode network, the sensorimotor network, and the dorsal attention network for the frontoparietal and salience network seeds during the task. Conversely, younger adults had relatively stronger connections within and between the frontoparietal and salience networks. CONCLUSION In this first fMRI study of emotional Stroop interference in older and younger adults, we found that the emotional interference effect was unchanged in healthy aging and replicated the finding from non-emotional task studies that older adults have greater between-network and less within-network connectivity compared to younger adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ina S Almdahl
- Department of Old Age Psychiatry, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.,Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Liva J Martinussen
- Department of Old Age Psychiatry, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ingrid Agartz
- Department of Psychiatric Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway.,Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Psychiatric Research, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Kenneth Hugdahl
- Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.,Division of Psychiatry, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.,Department of Radiology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Maria S Korsnes
- Department of Old Age Psychiatry, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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Van Assche L, Van de Ven L, Vandenbulcke M, Luyten P. Ghosts from the past? The association between childhood interpersonal trauma, attachment and anxiety and depression in late life. Aging Ment Health 2020; 24:898-905. [PMID: 30739477 DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2019.1571017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Objectives: Research suggests that vulnerability for anxiety and depression in late life results from a complex interaction between (neuro)biological and environmental factors. In this context, there is growing evidence for the role of childhood trauma on vulnerability for both anxiety and depression throughout the course of life, mainly through its effects on attachment as a biologically based neurodevelopmental stress regulation system. Yet, the impact of childhood trauma on depression and anxiety in late life specifically remains unclear. The current study therefore aims to investigate the association between retrospectively reported childhood interpersonal trauma, attachment dimensions and levels of anxiety and depression in late life.Method: A sample of 81 community dwelling older adults completed measures of early and current adversity, attachment dimensions, and levels of anxiety and depression.Results: The occurrence and frequency of childhood trauma, but not later negative adult life events, was associated with late life anxiety and depression. Both attachment anxiety and avoidance were related to anxiety and depression. Only attachment anxiety affected the association between childhood trauma, and emotional neglect in particular, and late life anxiety and depression.Conclusion: Childhood trauma may be associated with anxiety and depression in late life. Part of this association is probably indirect, via the effect of insecure attachment and high levels of attachment anxiety in particular.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lies Van Assche
- Section of Geriatric Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospitals Leuven, KUL, Belgium
| | - Luc Van de Ven
- Section of Geriatric Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospitals Leuven, KUL, Belgium
| | - Mathieu Vandenbulcke
- Section of Geriatric Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospitals Leuven, KUL, Belgium
| | - Patrick Luyten
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Research Department of Clinical Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
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Abstract
BACKGROUND/STUDY CONTEXT The present studies investigate age differences observed when performing the emotional Stroop task considered as an expression of emotion regulation. Previous studies employing this task showed mixed findings regarding age differences, with a lack of evidence for positivity effects. However, moderating factors such as arousal or dispositional (emotion) regulation strategies were mostly not taken into account. Moreover, relations between Stroop effects and emotional reactions were not examined. METHODS In two studies (Study 1/2: nyoung = 26/41; nold = 19/39), an emotional Stroop task was employed and valence (negative, neutral, positive [Study 2 only]) and arousal of the word stimuli were varied. Additionally, flexible goal adjustment (FGA), positive and negative affect in the last 12 months, and change in momentary affect (Study 2 only) were measured. RESULTS Study 1 showed larger emotional Stroop effects (ESE) in older than younger adults with medium arousing negative words. We also found correlations between FGA (positive correlation) as well as negative affect (negative correlation) and the ESE with medium arousing negative words. Study 2 corroborates these findings by exhibiting positive change in momentary affect with larger ESEs for medium arousing negative words in the older age group. CONCLUSIONS The findings emphasize the importance of including arousal level and dispositional regulation measures (such as FGA) as moderating factors in age differences and within-group differences in emotion regulation. Although we did not find evidence for a positivity effect, processing in the emotional Stroop task was related to positive change in momentary affect and less negative affect in the older age group. Taken together, our experiments demonstrate that the emotional Stroop task is suited as a measure for emotion induction and related emotion regulation mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathleen Kappes
- a Department of Psychology , University of Hildesheim , Hildesheim , Germany
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De Rubeis J, Sütterlin S, Lange D, Pawelzik M, van Randenborgh A, Victor D, Vögele C. Attachment Status Affects Heart Rate Responses to Experimental Ostracism in Inpatients with Depression. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0150375. [PMID: 26943924 PMCID: PMC4778981 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2015] [Accepted: 02/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Depression is assumed to be both a risk factor for rejection and a result of it, and as such constitutes an important factor in rejection research. Attachment theory has been applied to understand psychological disorders, such as depression, and can explain individual differences in responses to rejection. Research on autonomic nervous system activity to rejection experiences has been contradictory, with opposing strings of argumentation (activating vs. numbing). We investigated autonomic nervous system-mediated peripheral physiological responses (heart rate) to experimentally manipulated ostracism (Cyberball) in 97 depressed patients with organized (n = 52) and disorganized attachment status (n = 45). Controlling for baseline mean heart rate levels, depressed patients with disorganized attachment status responded to ostracism with significantly higher increases in heart rate than depressed patients with organized attachment status (p = .029; ηp2 = .051). These results suggest that attachment status may be a useful indicator of autonomic responses to perceived social threat, which in turn may affect the therapeutic process and the patient-therapist relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jannika De Rubeis
- Eos-Klinik für Psychotherapie, Alexianer GmbH, Münster, Germany.,Institute for Health and Behaviour, Research Unit INSIDE, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Stefan Sütterlin
- Department of Psychology, Lillehammer University College, Lillehammer, Norway.,Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Division of Surgery and Clinical Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, Norway
| | - Diane Lange
- Eos-Klinik für Psychotherapie, Alexianer GmbH, Münster, Germany
| | - Markus Pawelzik
- Eos-Klinik für Psychotherapie, Alexianer GmbH, Münster, Germany
| | | | - Daniela Victor
- Eos-Klinik für Psychotherapie, Alexianer GmbH, Münster, Germany
| | - Claus Vögele
- Institute for Health and Behaviour, Research Unit INSIDE, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.,Research Group on Health Psychology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Brügger A, Aubert JD, Piot-Ziegler C. Emotions while awaiting lung transplantation: A comprehensive qualitative analysis. Health Psychol Open 2014; 1:2055102914561272. [PMID: 28070345 PMCID: PMC5193305 DOI: 10.1177/2055102914561272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Patients awaiting lung transplantation are at risk of negative emotional and physical experiences. How do they talk about emotions? Semi-structured interviews were performed (15 patients). Categorical analysis focusing on emotion-related descriptions was organized into positive–negative–neutral descriptions: for primary and secondary emotions, evaluation processes, coping strategies, personal characteristics, emotion descriptions associated with physical states, (and) contexts were listed. Patients develop different strategies to maintain positive identity and attitude, while preserving significant others from extra emotional load. Results are discussed within various theoretical and research backgrounds, in emphasizing their importance in the definition of emotional support starting from the patient’s perspective.
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Van Assche L, Luyten P, Van de Ven L, Vandenbulcke M. [The impact of attachment on behavioral and psychological symptoms in dementia]. Tijdschr Gerontol Geriatr 2013; 44:157-65. [PMID: 23907704 DOI: 10.1007/s12439-013-0029-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Contemporary research has increasingly acknowledged the importance of attachment on stress-related processes in ageing. Congruent with this, there has been much research on attachment in older adults over the past three decades. In this article, the main findings of this research are summarized, with a focus on attachment and dementia. Results show that, in general, the number of attachment figures decreases in old age. Moreover, their identity changes as adult children, deceased loved ones and God become more prominent. With relation to the quality of attachment, anxiety in close relations appears to diminish as people age, while attachment avoidance remains relatively stable. Individuals with high levels of attachment security also report greater well-being and a more positive attitude towards ageing compared to persons with low levels of attachment security. Furthermore, individuals characterized by insecure attachment show more behavioral and psychological problems in dementia. Also, caregiver burden, depression, as well as the quality of care giving and future caregiver commitment differ depending on the quality of attachment of the caregiver. There is preliminary evidence for the efficacy of attachment-based interventions in dementia. Finally, there is a need for greater methodological uniformity and the use of measures that are validated for an older population.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Van Assche
- Klinisch ouderenpsycholoog, Cluster ouderenpsychiatrie van het Universitair Psychiatrisch Centrum - Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (UPC-KUL), Leuven, België,
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Van Assche L, Luyten P, Bruffaerts R, Persoons P, van de Ven L, Vandenbulcke M. Attachment in old age: Theoretical assumptions, empirical findings and implications for clinical practice. Clin Psychol Rev 2013; 33:67-81. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2012.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2011] [Revised: 10/03/2012] [Accepted: 10/07/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Consedine NS. Are we worrying about the right men and are the right men feeling worried? Conscious but not unconscious prostate anxiety predicts screening among men from three ethnic groups. Am J Mens Health 2011; 6:37-50. [PMID: 21862565 DOI: 10.1177/1557988311415513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Anxieties regarding cancer and screening have been consistently linked in prostate screening behavior with cancer-related anxieties generally thought to be higher among minority men. To date, however, the literature linking cancer anxieties to screening among diverse men remains predicated on self-reported anxiety. Research has yet to consider how "accurate" the reporting of anxiety may be among distinct groups of men or the possibility that anxiety may influence prostate cancer (PC) screening behavior through conscious and nonconscious channels; the current study tested for discrepancies between self-report and Stroop-ascertained general- and prostate-specific anxiety and their links to screening among 180 U.S.-born African American, U.S.-born European American, and immigrant Jamaican men. Men provided self-report information regarding trait and prostate-related anxiety and completed an emotional Stroop task. Mixed model ANOVAs showed that while U.S.-born African Americans had few discrepancies between self-report and Stroop-ascertained anxiety, Jamaicans reported greater PC anxiety than indicated by Stroop performance, while the opposite was true among U.S.-born Europeans. As expected, self-reported (but not Stroop-ascertained) PC anxiety predicted screening in multivariate analysis. Although men from different age and ethnic groups varied in the discrepancy between self-reported and Stroop-ascertained PC anxiety, the influence of avoidance-producing emotions appears to operate predominantly through conscious channels.
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The biopsychology of emotion: Current theoretical, empirical, and methodological perspectives. Biol Psychol 2010; 84:381-2. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2010.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2010] [Accepted: 02/01/2010] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Impulsive action and motivation. Biol Psychol 2010; 84:570-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2010.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2009] [Revised: 11/18/2009] [Accepted: 01/02/2010] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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