The Experiences in Close Relationship Scale (ECR)-short form: reliability, validity, and factor structure

An updated meta-analysis of the relation between adult attachment style and working alliance

Objective: Previous meta-analyses have shown that client-rated working alliance is negatively correlated with attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance. The purpose of this study is to provide an updated meta-analysis of the relation between alliance and the two dimensions of attachment insecurity. Method: Random effects models were used to examine the relation between the working alliance and attachment anxiety and the relation between the working alliance and attachment avoidance. Results: The overall relation between alliance and attachment anxiety was r = -.09 (p = .01, k = 33, I2 = 43.7%). The overall relation between alliance and attachment avoidance was r = -.13 (p < .001, k = 33, I2 = 44.7%). There was no evidence that these relations varied across study characteristics such as client race or the number of therapists in the study. Conclusion: The results support the negative relations between client-rated alliance and both dimensions of client-rated attachment insecurity. Further research is needed to identify the factors that moderate this relationship, using a more diverse sample of study characteristics and a wider range of measures.

Hippocampus, amygdala, and insula activation in response to romantic relationship dissolution stimuli: A case-case-control fMRI study on emerging adult students

BACKGROUND

Romantic relationship dissolutions (RRDs) are associated with posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). Functional magnetic resonance imaging in RRD studies indicate overlapping neural activation similar to posttraumatic stress disorder. These studies combine real and hypothetical rejection, and lack contextual information and control and/or comparison groups exposed to non-RRD or DSM-5 defined traumatic events.

AIM

We investigated blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) activation in the hippocampus, amygdala, and insula of participants with RRDs compared with other traumatic or non-trauma stressors.

METHODS

Emerging adults (mean age = 21.54 years; female = 74.7 %) who experienced an RRD (n = 36), DSM-5 defined trauma (physical and/or sexual assault: n = 15), or a non-RRD or DSM-5 stressor (n = 28) completed PTSS, depression, childhood trauma, lifetime trauma exposure, and attachment measures. We used a general and customised version of the International Affective Picture System to investigate responses to index-trauma-related stimuli. We used mixed linear models to assess between-group differences, and ANOVAs and Spearman's correlations to analyse factors associated with BOLD activation.

RESULTS

BOLD activity increased between index-trauma stimuli as compared to neutral stimuli in the hippocampus and amygdala, with no significant difference between the DSM-5 Trauma and RRD groups. Childhood adversity, sexual orientation, and attachment style were associated with BOLD activation changes. Breakup characteristics (e.g., initiator status) were associated with increased BOLD activation in the hippocampus and amygdala, in the RRD group.

CONCLUSION

RRDs should be considered as potentially traumatic events. Breakup characteristics are risk factors for experiencing RRDs as traumatic.

LIMITATION

Future studies should consider more diverse representation across sex, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.

Identity fusion is associated with outgroup trust and social exploration: Evidence for the fusion-secure base hypothesis

Identity fusion - a powerful form of group alignment - is a strong predictor of using violence to defend the ingroup. However, recent theorizing suggests, in the absence of outgroup threat, fusion may instead promote intergroup trust and cooperation. Across five studies we find evidence that fusion to a range of groups (e.g., country, football team) was consistently positively associated with a willingness to trust others generally, trust outgroup members, and social exploration. An internal meta-analysis indicated that fusion was more strongly associated with trust and social exploration, compared to several measures of group identification. These findings provide support for the fusion-secure base hypothesis (Personality and Social Psychology Review. 2023, 27(2), 107-127) and suggest that fusion has the potential to increase a willingness to interact with, and trust, outgroup members.

Insecure attachment and eating disorder symptoms: Intolerance of uncertainty and emotion regulation as mediators

OBJECTIVE

Literature on eating disorder (ED) symptoms of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) group is extremely scarce. This study aimed to understand the mechanisms underlying the associations between insecure attachment and ED symptoms and examine whether these mechanisms differed between White and BIPOC groups.

METHOD

The study investigated direct and indirect relationship between attachment anxiety/avoidance and ED symptoms via intolerance of uncertainty (IU) and emotion regulation strategies of suppression and reappraisal. Further, we examined whether the proposed mechanisms equally represented White versus BIPOC using Multigroup Structural Equation Model (MG-SEM). A total of 1227 college students (48.50% BIPOC and 51.50% White) completed research questionnaires.

RESULTS

Results showed that IU and suppression mediated the relations between insecure attachment and ED symptoms for both White and BIPOC groups. Uniquely, reappraisal mediated the relations between insecure attachment and ED symptoms for the White group, but not for the BIPOC group.

DISCUSSION

The implications of the findings for culturally informed practice are discussed, including targeting increasing tolerability of uncertainties and improving emotion regulation to mitigate ED symptoms for those with insecure attachment.

Adult attachment style, perceived social support, and post-traumatic stress among female victims of sexual assault

The present study aimed to investigate the interplay between adult attachment style, perceived social support, and post-traumatic stress (PTS) symptoms among adult female victims of sexual assault)SA(. While prior research has established the link between insecure attachment style and PTS, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. The potential role of perceived social support as a mediator in this relationship has been largely neglected and there is a dearth of studies investigating this mediation among victims of SA. The present study sought to address this gap in literature. Two hundred twenty-six women who have endured SA completed self-report measures of attachment style, perceived social support, and PTS, using an online survey. The results confirmed the anticipated pattern, showing a positive correlation between insecure attachment styles and PTS, as well as a negative correlation with perceived social support. A mediation analysis indicated that perceived social support may be a mechanism linking attachment styles to PTS. Following SA, insecurely attached women, especially those with avoidant attachment, have difficulties relying on and utilizing support from their environment, which may render them more susceptible to PTS. Nevertheless, the mediation was partial, indicating that attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance independently contribute to the development and maintenance of PTS.

Psychometric assessment of the 10-item Thai version of the Experience in Close Relationship-Revised for Adolescents (ECR-R-10-AD)

The 18-item version of the Experiences in Close Relationships-revised (ECR-R-18) is a valid and reliable scale used among Thai adolescents. However, it revealed problematic items that impacted the scale's internal consistency. The study aimed to achieve two objectives: (1) develop a new, shorter scale by retaining only highly loaded items equally between attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance, and (2) evaluate the psychometric properties of the shorter ECR-R version compared to the existing 18-item scale. Objective 1 was achieved through Study 1, involving 204 youths aged 16-18 years (64% female). All participants completed the 18-item ECR-R, and exploratory factor analysis was conducted to identify suitable items for the new ECR-R-AD. Objective 2 was fulfilled in Study 2, which included a total of 443 students in grades aged 15-18 years old (88% female) from Thai boarding schools in Northern Thailand. All participants completed both the 18-item ECR-R, and confirmatory factor analysis of both the existing 18-item and the new shorter scale was performed and compared. Additional measures including the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Perceived Stress Scale-10, and Relationship Questionnaire were completed alongside the ECR-R to assess convergent, discriminant, and criterion validity. The invariance test for the new ECR-R across genders was conducted using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis. For objective 1, Study 1 developed a new scale called "ECR-R-10-AD" with 10 items, comprising 5 for attachment anxiety and 5 for attachment avoidance. The McDonald's omega values were 0.866 for avoidance and 0.823 for anxiety subscales. The corrected correlation between the ECR-R-18 and ECR-R-10-AD was significant. For objective 2, Study 2 found that the first-order two-factor solution model fit the data best for the ECR-R-10-AD. Convergent, discriminant, and criterion validity with other measurements and invariance tests based on sex were established for the ECR-R-AD. The ECR-R-10-AD provided sufficient psychometric properties among Thai adolescents. Factorial validity, convergent validity, and measurement invariance were established. As the ECR-R-10-AD is brief, it can be administered with less burden. Limitations and future research were discussed.

How We Disenfranchise Grief for Self and Other: An Empirical Study

Disenfranchised grief can be defined as a loss that is not openly acknowledged or a mourning process not recognized socially after a loss. One can also self-disenfranchise as suppressing and not allowing oneself to grieve. The current study aims to examine perceived disenfranchisement, self-disenfranchisement and disenfranchisement of others. For this purpose, three hypothetical unacknowledged loss scenarios, which are pet loss, a romantic relationship break-up and having a psychological disorder, were used to compare self and other disenfranchisement as well as to reveal the relationships to attachment and social support. The findings indicate that the three loss scenarios differ in terms of the acknowledgement of loss, grief and social and professional support for self and others. Subsequently, attachment and social support are significantly related to the evaluations of the disenfranchised grief process. Finally, the implications of the findings are discussed.

Development of the Couples' Sleep Conflict Scale: A new tool to assess conflict around sleep in romantic relationships

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Couples' Sleep Conflict Scale, a new measure designed to identify the extent of conflict around sleep in romantic relationships.

METHODS

Data from an individual sample (N = 158) and dyadic sample (N = 143 mixed-gender couples) in romantic relationships were used to examine the psychometric properties of the Couples' Sleep Conflict Scale, including internal consistency, convergent and divergent validity, and whether the factor structure differed between couples with concordant and discordant chronotypes.

RESULTS

Results revealed that the Couples' Sleep Conflict Scale fit a 1-factor solution of 5 items, a summed or mean score can be used, and that it is reliable for both men and women. In addition, more relational sleep conflict was associated with both their own and their partners' poorer sleep hygiene, worse sleep quality, and more daytime sleepiness as well as more general relationship conflict, lower relationship satisfaction, and higher anxious and avoidant attachment. Finally, we found partial measurement invariance for factor loadings, intercepts, and latent variable variances between couples with concordant vs. discordant chronotypes.

CONCLUSION

The Couples' Sleep Conflict Scale is a brief measure that can be used in both research and in health care settings to examine how sleep-related conflict can affect both sleep and relationship quality among couples.

Association between problematic social networking use and anxiety symptoms: a systematic review and meta-analysis

A growing number of studies have reported that problematic social networking use (PSNU) is strongly associated with anxiety symptoms. However, due to the presence of multiple anxiety subtypes, existing research findings on the extent of this association vary widely, leading to a lack of consensus. The current meta-analysis aimed to summarize studies exploring the relationship between PSNU levels and anxiety symptoms, including generalized anxiety, social anxiety, attachment anxiety, and fear of missing out. 209 studies with a total of 172 articles were included in the meta-analysis, involving 252,337 participants from 28 countries. The results showed a moderately positive association between PSNU and generalized anxiety (GA), social anxiety (SA), attachment anxiety (AA), and fear of missing out (FoMO) respectively (GA: r = 0.388, 95% CI [0.362, 0.413]; SA: r = 0.437, 95% CI [0.395, 0.478]; AA: r = 0.345, 95% CI [0.286, 0.402]; FoMO: r = 0.496, 95% CI [0.461, 0.529]), and there were different regulatory factors between PSNU and different anxiety subtypes. This study provides the first comprehensive estimate of the association of PSNU with multiple anxiety subtypes, which vary by time of measurement, region, gender, and measurement tool.

Effects on Child Development and Parent-Child Interaction of the FACAM Intervention: A Randomized Controlled Study of an Interdisciplinary Intervention to Support Women in Vulnerable Positions through Pregnancy and Early Motherhood

Health inequality can have a profound impact on a child's life. Maternal mental health challenges can hinder bonding, leading to impaired functioning and poorer child outcomes. To provide extra support for vulnerable pregnant women, the FACAM intervention offers the services of a health nurse or family therapist from pregnancy until the child starts school. This study examined the effects of FACAM intervention on pregnant women in vulnerable positions and their children until the child turned two years old. We randomly assigned 331 pregnant women to either FACAM intervention or care as usual and assessed them at baseline and when the infant was 3-6, 12-13.5, and 24 months old. The primary outcome was maternal sensitivity measured by Coding Interactive Behavior (CIB). Secondary outcomes included the parent-child relationship, child social-emotional development, child developmental progress, parent-child interaction, and child development. Our findings indicate that care-as-usual children were significantly more involved than FACAM children when the child was 4-6 months old (b = -0.25, [-0.42; -0.08] d = -0.42). However, we suspect this result is due to a biased dropout. We did not find any significant differences in any other outcomes. Therefore, the study suggests that the FACAM intervention is not superior to care as usual regarding child development and parent-child interaction outcomes.

Adult Attachment Anxiety Is Protective Against the Effects of Internalized Homophobia on Condomless Sex Among Young Sexual Minority Men: The P18 Cohort Study

Internalized homophobia, or the internalization of negative attitudes toward one's sexual minority identity, is associated with sexual risk behaviors among young sexual minority men (YSMM). However, the formation and maintenance of secure or insecure socio-emotional bonds with friends, family members, and intimate partners (i.e., adult attachment) may mitigate or exacerbate the negative effects of exposure to internalized homophobia. Nevertheless, little is known about how adult attachment influences the association between internalized homophobia and sexual risk behaviors (e.g., condomless anal sex) among YSMM. Thus, this study examined the potential moderating effect of adult attachment on the association between internalized homophobia and condomless anal sex (CAS) behaviors (i.e., insertive CAS and receptive CAS) among a sample of N = 268 YSMM who participated in the study between June 2015-March 2017 using zero-inflated Poisson regression models. We found that adult attachment anxiety, but not adult attachment avoidance, significantly moderated the association between internalized homophobia and receptive CAS behaviors such that those higher on adult attachment anxiety and internalized homophobia had fewer receptive CAS events over the preceding 30 days as compared to those lower on adult attachment anxiety and internalized homophobia. Research efforts should focus on unpacking the complex associations between adult attachment, internalized homophobia, and sexual risk behaviors among YSMM.

Social support of virtual characters reduces pain perception

BACKGROUND

Psychosocial factors, such as social support, can reduce pain. Virtual reality (VR) is a powerful tool to decrease pain, but social factors in VR-based pain analgesia have rarely been studied. Specifically, it is unclear whether social support by virtual characters can reduce pain and whether the perceived control behind virtual characters (agency) and varying degrees of social cues impact pain perception.

METHODS

Healthy participants (N = 97) received heat pain stimulation while undergoing four within-subject conditions in immersive VR: (1) virtual character with a low number of social cues (virtual figure) provided verbal support, (2) virtual character with a high number of social cues (virtual human) provided verbal support, (3) no social support (hearing neutral words), (4) no social support. Perceived agency of the virtual characters served as between-subjects factor. Participants in the avatar group were led to believe that another participant controlled the virtual characters. Participants in the agent group were told they interacted with a computer. However, in both conditions, virtual characters were computer-controlled. Pain ratings, psychophysiological measurements and presence ratings were recorded.

RESULTS

Virtual social support decreased pain intensity and pain unpleasantness ratings but had no impact on electrodermal activity nor heart rate. A virtual character with a high number of social cues led to lower pain unpleasantness and higher feelings of presence. Agency had no significant impact.

CONCLUSIONS

Virtual characters providing social support can reduce pain independent of perceived agency. A more human visual appearance can have beneficial effects on social pain modulation by virtual characters.

SIGNIFICANCE

Social influences are important factors in pain modulation. The current study demonstrated analgesic effects through verbal support provided by virtual characters and investigated modulating factors. A more human appearance of a virtual character resulted in a higher reduction of pain unpleasantness. Importantly, agency of the virtual characters had no impact. Given the increasing use of digital health interventions, the findings suggest a positive impact of virtual characters for digital pain treatments.

Volitional Change in Pathological Traits: Can People Change Their Maladaptive Traits?

Research suggests people want to change their normative personality traits-and they can volitionally do so. However, studies have not yet addressed volitional change in pathological personality. Consequently, the current study examined (a) people's desires to change pathological traits, (b) whether these change goals predict subsequent trait change, (c) whether this withstands controlling normative traits, and (d) the extent to which pathological trait change predicts relevant outcomes. College students (N = 463) self-reported their pathological traits weekly for up to 16 weeks. People with elevated pathological traits generally desired to decrease these traits. Furthermore, goals to change negative affectivity and disinhibition predicted corresponding trait change. Thus, people want to reduce their pathological traits-and they may be able to do so for some traits.

The short- and longer-term effects of brief behavioral parent training versus care as usual in children with behavioral difficulties: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

The access to and uptake of evidence-based behavioral parent training for children with behavioral difficulties (i.e., oppositional, defiant, aggressive, hyperactive, impulsive, and inattentive behavior) are currently limited because of a scarcity of certified therapists and long waiting lists. These problems are in part due to the long and sometimes perceived as rigid nature of most evidence-based programs and result in few families starting behavioral parent training and high dropout rates. Brief and individually tailored parenting interventions may reduce these problems and make behavioral parent training more accessible. This protocol paper describes a two-arm, multi-center, randomized controlled trial on the short- and longer-term effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a brief, individually tailored behavioral parent training program for children with behavioral difficulties.

METHODS

Parents of children aged 2-12 years referred to a child mental healthcare center are randomized to (i) three sessions of behavioral parent training with optional booster sessions or (ii) care as usual. To evaluate effectiveness, our primary outcome is the mean severity of five daily ratings by parents of four selected behavioral difficulties. Secondary outcomes include measures of parent and child behavior, well-being, and parent-child interaction. We explore whether child and parent characteristics moderate intervention effects. To evaluate cost-effectiveness, the use and costs of mental healthcare and utilities are measured. Finally, parents' and therapists' satisfaction with the brief program are explored. Measurements take place at baseline (T0), one week after the brief parent training, or eight weeks after baseline (in case of care as usual) (T1), and six months (T2) and twelve months (T3) after T1.

DISCUSSION

The results of this trial could have meaningful societal implications for children with behavioral difficulties and their parents. If we find the brief behavioral parent training to be more (cost-)effective than care as usual, it could be used in clinical practice to make parent training more accessible.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The trial is prospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05591820) on October 24th, 2022 and updated throughout the trial.

Measuring Change in Attachment Insecurity Using Short Forms of the ECR-R: Longitudinal Measurement Invariance and Sensitivity to Treatment

Attachment insecurity is important for psychotherapy both as an aspect influencing the therapeutic process as well as potential outcome variable of a treatment. Two German short forms of the Experiences in Close Relationships - Revised (ECR-R) have been proposed to assess individual differences in attachment anxiety and avoidance. In this research, we examined whether these questionnaires are suitable for measuring change in attachment anxiety and avoidance by testing longitudinal measurement invariance in two independent clinical samples (N1 = 493, N2 = 273) using a pre-post design. Results indicated that strict longitudinal measurement invariance can be assumed for both measures. Thus, changes in scale scores before and after treatment can be interpreted as changes in the latent dimensions of attachment anxiety and avoidance. Both questionnaires were also sensitive to treatment in that attachment insecurity was overall reduced after therapy. Although both measures appear to be generally suitable for investigating treatment effects, they exhibited consistent problems with structural validity across samples that should be reexamined in future research.

The Revised Pathogenic Beliefs Scale: A Transtheoretical Measure of Maladaptive Beliefs That Are Associated with Psychological Distress

Pathogenic beliefs are maladaptive cognitive schema that may obstruct a person's ability to achieve meaningful goals in their life. This study sought to revise a previously existing measure of pathogenic beliefs (the Pathogenic Beliefs Scale) by improving the quality of items and separating the ratings of the presence of a pathogenic belief from the distress associated with it. In Study 1 (n = 272), we used item-response theory to identify 21 items from an initial pool of 44 items. In Study 2 (n = 422), we tested the items from Study 1 using confirmatory factor analysis. Study 3 used the combined samples from Study 1 and Study 2 (total n = 528) to compare the revised measure to the Experiences in Close Relationships and the Measure of Parental Style. Results indicate that the revised 21-item PBS has good reliability and convergent validity with related measures, consistent with previous studies of the longer version of the PBS. The 21-item revised PBS is included as supplemental material, and freely available to clinicians and researchers.

Romantic Attachment and Sexual Desire: The Role of Desire Target

Attachment insecurities are characterized by distinct approaches to intimacy and sex, yet their roles in sexual desire remain largely unexamined. Drawing from theories of attachment and behavioral motivation, the current study investigated the role of attachment insecurities in sexual desire and how that role differs by desire target. The Sexual Desire Inventory provided both a general dyadic desire measure and a measure differentiating between partner-specific desire and desire for an attractive potential sexual partner (attractive other desire). In a sample of 321 young adults (51% men), two structural equation models (SEMs) were compared, each with attachment predicting desire: a Dyadic Combined model and a Partner Type model. Models accounted for gender, relationship status, sexual identity, racial/ethnic identity, number of previous sexual partners, and measurement error. Preliminary confirmatory factor analyses indicated adequate factor loadings (>.40) for both desire measures, yet superior fit for the partner type measure. In the SEMs, the Partner Type model outperformed the Dyadic Combined model across all indices. Attachment avoidance predicted lower partner-specific desire, yet higher attractive other desire. Attachment anxiety predicted higher partner-specific desire, yet was unrelated to attractive other desire. Findings suggest the discomfort with intimacy characterized by attachment avoidance deters interest in sex with romantic partners, yet may enhance sexual interest in nonattachment figures. Several discrepant associations across desire measures indicate that distinguishing between desire targets is critical for fully understanding individual differences in desire. Partner-specific sexual desire may be a unique experience that should not be conflated with other forms of sexual desire.

The interplay of attachment styles and marital infidelity: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objectives

Marital infidelity is a highly distressing experience for those involved. Understanding the psychological factors related to infidelity can help develop targeted interventions. The primary aim of this study was to assess the association between attachment styles and marital infidelity.

Methods

Seventeen studies were included, sourced from electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and PsycInfo, with no time limitations, up to April 2023. The search employed terms like "attachment AND marital infidelity." Study quality was evaluated using the Risk of Bias Assessment Tool from RevMan version 5.3.

Results

The meta-analysis involved a total of 13,666 participants, ranging from 208 to 4047 individuals. Findings showed that higher levels of anxiety and avoidance in attachment were significantly associated with increased marital infidelity (r = 0.18, 95 % CI = 0.14-0.22, p < 0.0001). Conversely, weaker attachment insecurity was linked to reduced rates of marital infidelity. Additionally, both dismissive and fearful attachment styles correlated with marital infidelity, with respective weighted effect sizes of r = 0.07, p < 0.001 (95 % CI = 0.04-0.10) and r = 0.19, p < 0.001 (95 % CI = 0.10-0.29). No association was found between preoccupied attachment and infidelity.

Conclusion

Individuals with insecure attachment styles, specifically those with high levels of anxiety or avoidance, are more likely to engage in marital infidelity. Attachment styles should be a focus in couples therapy, especially for treatment related to infidelity. Assessing and addressing these underlying attachment issues can better guide therapists in their work with couples facing infidelity.

Romantic attachment and support adequacy in new mothers

In the present research, we examined whether attachment anxiety and avoidance in support recipients were related to the extent to which social support received from a romantic partner matched the actual needs of the recipient. Two-hundred and forty-five first-time mothers, currently involved in romantic relationships, participated in study 1, in which perceptions of support were appraised over the previous month using self-reports. In study 2, we sought to replicate these findings using an experience sampling method to examine the association between attachment and momentary support perceptions in the daily life of mothers with babies (N = 40). Results indicated that high levels of attachment avoidance or anxiety in mothers were associated with negative appraisals of support matching. Receiving support which matched the needs of the mother (i.e., adequate support) was beneficial to mood, but not constructive to relationship satisfaction or perceptions of maternal efficacy.

Pre-event attachment anxiety and avoidance predict posttraumatic stress symptom severity - Results from a longitudinal population-based study

Attachment-related anxiety and avoidance have been identified as risk factors for psychopathology following traumatic events. However, the predictive value of pre-event attachment orientations for PTSD symptoms in the general population remains unclear. Attachment anxiety and avoidance, as well as symptoms of anxiety and depression, were assessed in autumn 2010 (T0) in 270 adult members of a Dutch research panel. PTSD symptoms were assessed in April (T1), August (T2), and December (T3) 2012 for events occurring within one year before T1. The predictive value of attachment orientations for severity and remission of PTSD cluster and total scores was estimated by latent growth curve analyses controlling for gender, age, and pre-event psychopathology. Attachment anxiety predicted higher posttraumatic stress severity at T1, while attachment avoidance predicted lower initial posttraumatic stress levels, together adding 7.4 % independently explained variance. Higher attachment anxiety was related to more remission of PTSD total scores (6.0 % independently explained variance) which might be understood as an effect of regression to the mean. In conclusion, insecure attachment orientation predicts PTSD symptoms in the general population. Our results advocate the significance of pre-traumatic factors for the prediction of posttraumatic stress and the consideration of attachment orientations in clinical work with trauma survivors.

Evaluating the Feasibility and Acceptability of a Psychosexual Intervention for Couples Post-allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

PURPOSE

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) can have a long-term impact on patients' sexual functioning and consequently, their relationship satisfaction. This study aimed to examine the feasibility and acceptability of a 5-session psychosexual intervention for HSCT survivors and their partners.

METHODS

To be eligible patients were required to be more than 3 months post-allogeneic HSCT. The intervention comprised 2 components: (1) A psychosexual education session exploring medical/behavioral treatment options for sexual dysfunction, delivered by a specialist nurse; (2) A 4-session Emotionally-Focused Therapy-based relationship education program for couples delivered by a clinical psychologist. Measures assessing relationship quality, sexual functioning, anxiety, and depression were administered pre- and post-intervention. Feasibility was measured via participation rate, adherence and compliance with completing main measures. Acceptability of the intervention was assessed via patient/partner satisfaction surveys.

RESULTS

Eight of 85 (9.4%) eligible patients and their partners participated in the study. Reasons for declining participation included: feeling uncomfortable due to sensitive nature of intervention; did not have any relationship/sexual function issues; and experiencing ongoing medical issues. Six of 8 couples (75%) attended at least 4 intervention sessions and 5 of 8 (62.5%) completed the main study measures post-intervention. Four couples reported that sexual satisfaction and relationship satisfaction was somewhat or much better post-intervention; 1 reported no change.

CONCLUSION

Feasibility criteria were not met, with low enrolment rate, however the intervention was deemed acceptable. Couples who participated adhered to the intervention and considered it beneficial. Further strategies to identify and manage sexual concerns are required.

Can a kiss conquer all? The predictive utility of idealized first kiss beliefs on reports of romantic love among U.S. adults

Research indicates that idealized romantic expectations and the extent to which they are met, are important predictors of relationship outcomes (e.g., love). However, no studies have investigated the impact of idealized beliefs associated with specific behaviors (e.g., kissing) on reports of romantic love. Thus, the two studies comprising this research assessed the association between idealized beliefs related to one's first romantic kiss with their current partner, unmet first kiss expectations, and reports of romantic love. Romantic attachment was also examined as a moderator. In Study One, the First Kiss Beliefs Scale was created and the results from 208 adults revealed that increased endorsement of idealized first kiss beliefs was associated with greater romantic love (r = 0.25). Romantic attachment also moderated this relationship, such that idealized first kiss beliefs significantly predicted love for those high in attachment anxiety and low in avoidance (β = 0.68 and β = 0.18, respectively). In Study Two, the First Kiss Beliefs Scale was modified to assess outcomes and expectations to capture unmet expectations. The results from 234 adults indicated that idealized first kiss beliefs predicted a greater proportion of the variance in romantic love (sr2 = 0.10) than did unmet expectations (sr2 = 0.07). A three-way interaction was also detected such that, among those low in attachment anxiety, the relationship between kissing beliefs and love was positive for those high in attachment avoidance and negative for those low. These results indicate that idealized first kiss expectations with one's current romantic partner are important predictors of love (beyond whether these expectations were met), particularly for those high in attachment insecurity. Implications are discussed for practitioners and those in the primary stages of romantic relationships.

Assessing Burdening Guilt and Its Correlates

Burdening guilt refers to the belief that one's emotions, needs, and ways of being are a burden to others, and is one type of interpersonal guilt proposed by the control-mastery theory (CMT). The aim of this article is to validate two new measures of burdening guilt. In the two studies conducted, we examined the psychometric properties of these scales and the relationship between burdening guilt and self-perceived burden (burdensomeness), self-esteem, shame, anxiety, depression, mental health, attachment insecurity, adverse childhood experiences, social desirability, empathy, and suicidal ideation. In Study 1, we presented a newly developed Burdening Guilt Rating Scale (BGRS) and its correlation with measures of the abovementioned dimensions. In Study 2 we verified, through confirmatory factor analysis and correlation techniques, the possibility of expanding the Interpersonal Guilt Rating Scale-15 with a shorter, 5-item burdening guilt scale derived from the BGRS, and showed that this shorter scale correlates similarly to the longer one. Findings allowed us to validate these new scales providing empirical measures of burdening guilt-a theoretical concept with important clinical implications.

The 10-Item Short Form of the German Experiences in Close Relationships Scale (ECR-G-10)-Model Fit, Reliability, and Validity

The aim of the present work was the development and validation of a short form of the Experiences in Close Relationship Scale (ECR) in German. Three studies were conducted. In study 1, the best items for the short form were selected from the item pool of the original version based on ant colony optimization (ACO), a recently developed probabilistic approach. Data from three samples collected at a university, an online portal, and a psychosomatic clinic with a total of 1470 participants were analyzed. A 10-item solution resulted, measuring avoidance and anxiety with five items each. This solution showed a good model fit and acceptable reliability in all three samples. The two new short scales were independent of each other. In study 2, the 10-item solution was validated by correlating the new short scales with external criteria. Data from previous studies that included student, community, and clinical samples were reanalyzed. Both short scales showed expected correlations with measures of romantic relationships, personality, psychopathology, and childhood trauma, indicating convergent and discriminant validity. The significant correlations were moderate to strong. In study 3, the selected ten items alone and several content-related scales were presented online to 277 participants, most of them students. The good results in terms of model fit, reliability, and validity observed in studies 1 and 2 could be replicated here. The new short form, called ECR-G-10, allows the measurement of attachment avoidance and anxiety in an economic way in research and clinical practice.

Predictors of Individual and Interpersonal Adjustment Among Non-offending Partners of Individuals With Histories of Sexual Offenses

Recent research indicates that the consequences of sexual offenses extend beyond target victims, including to non-offending partners of individuals with sexual offense histories. However, little research has focused on non-offending partners' wellbeing and relationships with persons with sexual offense histories leading up to and following acts of sexual aggression. Non-offending partners may be secondary victims of their partners' offenses in managing psychological difficulties (e.g., guilt, shame), social stigma and isolation, fear for their safety, or difficulties in their romantic relationships resulting from their partners' sexual offenses, often with minimal supports. The current study examined key correlates of individual and interpersonal adjustment among 207 non-offending partners of individuals with histories of sexual offenses who were residing in Canada (n = 36) or the United States (n = 171). Findings indicate that positive changes due to the offense (i.e., improved finances), self-esteem, interpersonal adjustment, instrumental support, lower levels of acceptance, and humor positively predicted individual adjustment. Interpersonal adjustment was predicted by trust, intimacy, partner's stress communication, and problem-focused and emotion-focused common dyadic coping. Findings highlight the need for services for non-offending partners, including interventions that address self-esteem and practical difficulties resulting from the offense, and couples therapy to address trust issues, intimacy concerns, and shared coping with stressors related to the offense.

We only know that we don't know: attachment patterns and psychological coping during the COVID-19 pandemic - the mediation role of intolerance of uncertainty

The global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic created sudden changes in many areas of daily life and increased uncertainty about the future. Two studies examined the association between attachment patterns and mental well-being during the pandemic, the mediating role of intolerance of uncertainty (IOU), and factors related to social relationships and self-perceptions. The results of the first study, conducted at the outbreak of the pandemic, indicated that individuals with high levels of attachment anxiety experienced more negative emotions and fewer positive emotions at that time, and that IOU and perceived social support mediated these associations. The results of the second study, conducted several months into the pandemic, indicated an association between attachment anxiety and avoidance, and perceived stress during the time of the pandemic. Results of Study 2 also indicated that IOU mediated the association between attachment anxiety and stress, and that sense of coherence (SOC) mediated the association between attachment anxiety and avoidance, and stress. These findings underscore the adverse psychological effects of uncertain situations, especially for individuals with a fragile foundation of interpersonal support, thus emphasizing the need for action to reduce uncertainty, especially in times of emergency.

[Old age and attachment theory, a systematic review of attachment typology, continuity, prevalence and association with psychological and health variables in older adults]

The aim of this paper is to review the research on attachment theory during old age in the last 10 years, in order to obtain: a) the prevalence of different types of attachment, b) the assessment of attachment methods, c) the relationship established between attachment and other psychosocial and health variables in the aging process. A systematic search of PsycINFO, PsycArticles, WOS, and Scopus identified 17 studies, in which attachment had been assessed in a population of 7118 older adults. The results of this research present a clear evolution and some differences, with respect to the previous systematic 2010 review. Regarding the prevalence of the different types of attachment, it is confirmed that secure attachment and avoidant attachment are more abundant in old age than in adulthood or youth people. There is no consensus on the instruments used for the evaluation, and results are presented that associate insecure attachment with depression, life satisfaction, physical illness and loneliness. The attachment construct appears as an explanatory and mediating variable, directly involved in the psychology and psychopathology of old age.

Promoting couples' resilience to relationship obsessive compulsive disorder (ROCD) symptoms using a CBT-based mobile application: A randomized controlled trial

Relationship Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (ROCD) is a disabling form of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) centering on interpersonal relationships. Previous findings suggest ROCD symptoms are particularly detrimental to romantic relationships. In this randomized controlled trial (RCT), we assessed influence a CBT-based mobile application used by both partners on resilience to ROCD symptoms, cognitions, and relationship dissatisfaction. The app consists of brief, daily exercises targeting OCD symptoms, related cognitions and attachment insecurities. Heterosexual couples (Ncouples = 103; Mage = 26.15) were randomly assigned to individually use a mobile application for 15 days (n = 49 couples) or to a control group (n = 54 couples). All participants completed questionnaires at baseline (T1), 15 days from baseline (T2), and 45 days from baseline (T3). All couples also underwent an ROCD resilience task at T2. Intention-to-treat analyses revealed that, in contrast to the control group, couples who used the app exhibited enhanced resilience in the resilience task, as well as measures of ROCD symptoms, cognitions, and relationship dissatisfaction. These observed effects persisted even at the 1-month follow-up. Concurrent use of brief mobile delivered cognitive training by both romantic partners may foster resilience in romantic couples.

Meta-analytic evidence that attachment insecurity is associated with less frequent experiences of discrete positive emotions

OBJECTIVE

Individual differences in attachment insecurity can have important implications for experiences of positive emotions. However, existing research on the link between attachment insecurity and positive emotional experiences has typically used a composite measure of positive emotions, overlooking the potential importance of differentiating discrete emotions.

METHOD

We conducted a meta-analysis of 10 cross-sectional samples (N = 3215), examining how attachment insecurity is associated with self-reported frequency of experiencing positive emotions, with a distinction made between more social (i.e., love and gratitude) and less social (i.e., peace and awe or curiosity) positive emotions.

RESULTS

High (vs. low) levels of both attachment anxiety and avoidance were associated with less frequent experience of positive emotions regardless of their social relevance. When analyzing each emotion separately, we found that attachment anxiety showed negative relations to all emotions except gratitude. Attachment avoidance was negatively associated with all emotions, and the link was even stronger with love (vs. peace, awe, or curiosity). Additional analyses of daily diary data revealed that attachment anxiety and avoidance were also negatively associated with daily experiences of positive emotions, regardless of social relevance.

CONCLUSION

Our results underscore the need to further investigate the mechanisms underlying insecure individuals' blunted positive emotional experiences.

Psychometric assessment of the 10-item, revised experience of close relationship (ECR-R-10) in nonclinical and clinical populations of adults and older adults in Thailand

The experiences of close relationships-revised (ECR-R) is a widely used 36-item self-report measurement for measuring adult attachment. However, various short versions of the ECR-R have been developed and tested psychometrically. Given the cultural impact, a short version of the Thai ECR-R should be derived from the existing Thai version of the ECR-R. This study aimed to develop a 10-item version of the ECR-R that demonstrates comparable psychometric properties to the previous Thai version and the 18-item ECR-R. This study included four studies with a total of 1,322 participants. In study 1, 434 adults in a nonclinical setting were used for the development of the 10-item Thai ECR-R and tested in an independent sample. Studies 2, 3, and 4 were conducted on 312 adults in the clinical setting, 227 older adults in the nonclinical, and 123 older adults in clinical settings. The Cronbach alphas and corrected correlations between the ECR-R-18 and the ECR-R-10 in each study were calculated. Confirmatory factor analysis of the first-order two-factor solution model with fit statistics was examined with each sample. Correlations of the ECR-R-18 and the ECR-R-10 with other measurements were presented and compared. Known-group validity and measurement invariance test were also examined. The Cronbach alphas of the ECR-R-10 among all samples were acceptable, ranging between .77 and .85 for avoidance subscales and between .82 and .86 for anxiety subscales. The corrected correlation between the ECR-R-18 and ECR-R-10 was between .61 (p < .001) and .82 (p < .001). The values of the comparative fit index and Tucker-Lewis index for the model of ECR-R-10 were between .903 and .985, whereas the root-mean-square error of approximation was between .082 and .036, indicating that the model fits were acceptable. The ECR-R-10 was related to the measurements with a similar construct; however, no difference in the magnitude of correlation was observed between ECR-R-18 and ECR-R-10. Known group validity was established. Measurement invariance was successfully established across different age and gender groups, although it was only partially achieved with respect to clinical status. The ECR-R-10 provided equal or superior psychometric properties to the ECR-R-18 across age groups and settings. As it is a briefer scale, the ECR-R-10 can be practically used in general and clinical samples to reduce the burden of assessment, especially with older adults. Further investigation is needed to test the scale's temporal stability.

Friendships in Emerging Adulthood: The Role of Parental and Friendship Attachment Representations and Intimacy

The current studies addressed the associations between attachment representations with parents and a single best friend, intimacy behaviors (self-disclosure and support-seeking), and friendship quality in emerging adulthood, using the actor-partner interdependence mediation model (APIMeM). Study 1 (N = 186 dyads) examined whether attachment to parents predicted friendship quality, and whether this was mediated by attachment to their best friend. More avoidance or anxiety with parents predicted lower friendship quality, which was mediated by avoidance or anxiety with their best friend. Study 2 (N = 118 dyads) examined whether self-disclosure and support-seeking mediated the link between attachment with best friend and friendship quality. Anxiety with their best friend predicted lower friendship quality, which was mediated by support-seeking. Anxiety predicted less self-disclosure and support-seeking. We found no effects of avoidance. No partner effects were found in both studies. The findings are discussed in terms of adult attachment theory.

Four-week intranasal oxytocin administration reduces attachment avoidance in older women

The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) serves as a critical modulator of social cognition and social behavior. Adult attachment is an affiliative process crucial for social interaction across adulthood. Insecure adult attachment comprises two broad dimensions, attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance. Both these dimensions of attachment are currently understudied regarding OT modulation, and especially in older adults. The present study determined the effects of chronic intranasal OT administration on adult attachment in generally healthy older women and men (aged 55-95 years). Embedded in a larger project, participants were randomly assigned to self-administer 24 international units of either OT or a placebo (P) intranasally twice daily for four weeks. The Experiences in Close Relationships Scale assessed adult attachment (anxiety and avoidance) pre- and post-treatment. There was no significant pre- to post-treatment change in attachment avoidance overall, but the treatment x timepoint x sex interaction was significant, in that women (but not men) in the OT (vs. P) group reported decreased attachment avoidance. No comparable effects were observed for attachment anxiety. Results suggest that older women may benefit from chronic intranasal OT treatment by experiencing less attachment avoidance in their adult relationships.

Lo(u)st in Therapy: Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Therapists' Attitude toward Sexual and Erotic Feelings Scale (TASEF)

This study aimed to develop the Therapists' Attitude toward Sexual and Erotic Feelings (TASEF) scale for assessing therapists' attitudes and responses toward sexual and erotic feelings in therapy. A total of 507 therapists participated in two separate studies. Study 1 focused on finalizing the format of the TASEF and evaluating its construct validity. Through Exploratory Graph Analysis, four factors were identified within the TASEF questionnaire: Gratification, which captures the positive affect experienced by therapists in response to a patient's sexual attraction toward them; Fear, which represents therapists' apprehension or discomfort when encountering sexual feelings from the patient; Threat, which reflects the perception of risk or danger that erotic transference poses to the patient, therapist, and the therapeutic process; and Aversion, which encompasses the therapist's discomfort or aversion toward the patient's sexual feelings. Study 2 aimed to confirm the structure of the TASEF questionnaire and assess its overall validity. The results showed that the TASEF demonstrated adequate overall validity, with higher convergence validity observed for the Fear, Aversion, and Threat clusters compared to the Gratification cluster. The TASEF enables therapists to understand and manage their emotional reactions to sexual feelings in therapy, maintaining standards of care.

Predicting attitudes toward mitigation interventions and social distancing behaviors at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States

Aim

The goal of this research was to assess the influence of adult attachment, personality, and cultural orientation on social distancing and attitudes toward COVID-19 mitigation interventions.

Methods

Survey data was collected across two samples (NMTurk = 201, Nsnowball = 242) in the US from April 29 to May 11, 2020. Adult attachment was assessed via the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale-Short Form (ECR-S; Wei, M., Russell, D. W., Mallinckrodt, B., & Vogel, D. L. (2007). The experiences in close relationship scale (ECR)-short form: Reliability, validity, and factor structure. Journal of Personality Assessment, 88(2), 187-204), personality was assessed via the Ten Item Personality Inventory (TIPI; Gosling, S. D., Rentfrow, P. J., & Swann, W. B. (2003). A very brief measure of the Big-Five personality domains. Journal of Research in Personality, 37(6), 504-528), cultural orientation was assessed via the Horizontal and Vertical Individualism and Collectivism Scale (Triandis, H. C., & Galfand, M. J. (1998). Converging measurement of horizontal and vertical individualism and collectivism. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74(1), 118-128), and social distancing and attitudes toward mitigation interventions were assessed via self-report measures developed for this assessment.

Results

In the MTurk sample, agreeableness (β = .19) and conscientiousness (β = .26) predicted positive mitigation intervention attitudes. Agreeableness (β = .24) and vertical collectivism (β = .25) positively predicted social distancing, while attachment anxiety (β = -.32) and vertical individualism (β = -.32) negatively predicted social distancing. In our snowball sample, residing primarily in New York, openness (β = .18) and horizontal collectivism (β = .16) predicted positive intervention attitudes, while horizontal individualism (β = -.20) predicted negative attitudes. Social contact in this sample was low and not associated with predictor variables. In both samples, mitigation attitudes and social distancing were only moderately correlated.

Implications

Our findings highlight the inherent inconsistency between attitudes and behaviors as well as the potential impact of mandated interventions on both attitudes and behavior.

Depression, Complicated Grief, and Suicide Ideation Following Bereavement During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Many people lost a relative during the COVID-19 pandemic. Such a loss may have deleterious implications due to the circumstances of bereavement during lockdowns and social distancing. This study aimed to explore depressive symptoms, complicated grief, and suicidal ideation in the grieving process among 104 bereaved jewish adults who had lost relatives during the COVID-19 pandemic by completing self-reported questionnaires. The results indicate high suicidal ideation, complicated grief, and depression among them. Bereaved with suicidal ideation have an avoidant attachment and a close relationship with the deceased. These results highlight the adverse implication of COVID-19 on the grief process.

Prevalence of Prolonged Grief Disorder and Related Clinical Factors Among Turkish Psychiatric Outpatients During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Prolonged grief disorder (PGD), a new diagnosis in some classification systems, has gained prominence due to the high mortality rates observed during the Covid-19 pandemic. Herein, the prevalence of PGD (diagnosed with structured clinical interviews), death-related features, and associated clinical factors were investigated among outpatient psychiatric patients who lost a first-degree relative within the past 12-24 months. PGD was diagnosed in 30/68 patients (44.1%). PGD development did not differ based on cause of death (Covid-19-related vs. other causes) but was associated with higher age of the bereaved, younger age of the deceased, and degree of kinship. Higher rates of depression, insomnia, and anxious attachment were also observed in PGD patients. Finally, the unexpectedness of death predicted the development of PGD. Due to the high prevalence of PGD among psychiatric patients, clinicians should be aware of the disorder, monitor grief processes in high-risk patients, and consider PGD in treatment planning.

Romantic attachment security buffers the effect of stress on anxiety in college students during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background and objectives: The stressors of the COVID-19 pandemic spurred alarming levels of stress and anxiety in college students. It is important to identify factors that attenuate the negative effect of stress on anxiety. Framed by the attachment diathesis-stress process perspective, this study examined how the two dimensions of insecurity in romantic attachment-attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance-buffered the effect of stress on anxiety in a population of college students during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Design and methods: The study employed cross-sectional and correlation designs and used an online survey to gather self-report data from a sample of 453 college students. Data were collected from March 15, 2020, to February 16, 2021. Results: Anxiety, stress, and the two insecurity dimensions were all mutually correlated with one another. Multiple regression analysis revealed that as the level of attachment anxiety increased, the association of stress and anxiety turned stronger. Conclusions: The findings suggest that targeting attachment insecurity may prove to be fruitful when helping college students effectively regulate stress to lessen levels of anxiety.

How to Help Clients Make Friends

Friendships have been declining for the past 30 years, resulting in severe mental and physical health consequences. However, multiple barriers prevent individuals from initiating and maintaining connections. This paper highlights the individual and societal-level challenges that limit social connection including fear of rejection, insecure attachment style, structural racism, and increased use of technology. To help clients make friends, we recommend clinicians assess loneliness, social competency, and attachment style; administer cognitive behavioral or behavioral activation therapies; and guide clients to assume others like them and be self-compassionate.

Romantic attachment and cyber dating violence in adolescence: A dyadic approach

INTRODUCTION

Little research has documented cyber dating violence (DV)-a type of teen DV with unique characteristics that has been associated with negative consequences. Attachment is central to understanding negative behaviors in the context of relationships and has been associated with other forms of DV in teens. This study used an actor-partner interdependence model (APIM) to examine how cyber-DV victimization and perpetration (direct aggression and control) relate to attachment anxiety and avoidance.

METHODS

An online questionnaire was completed by 126 adolescent couples (n = 252; mean age = 17.7) from Quebec, Canada.

RESULTS

In almost all couples (96%), at least one partner reported an incident of cyber-control in the previous year, while cyber-aggression was reported in 34% of couples. APIM results revealed that girls' and boys' victimization and perpetration of direct cyber-aggression are associated similarly with both their own high levels of attachment anxiety and their partner's. Concerning cyber-control, results show that boys' and girls' victimization is associated more with their partner's higher level of anxious attachment than their own. Girls' perpetration of cyber-control is associated with both their own high levels of attachment anxiety and their partner's, while for boys' perpetration, their own high levels of anxious attachment were found to play a significantly greater role than their girlfriend's. No significant associations were found for the dimension of avoidant attachment for both cyber-aggression and cyber-control whether perpetration or victimization.

CONCLUSION

These findings, which identify potential risk factors for victimization and perpetration of cyber-DV, have implications for research, intervention, and prevention.

Spinning Your Wheels: Psychological Overinvolvement and Actigraphy-Assessed Sleep Efficiency Following Marital Separation

BACKGROUND

This study investigated the ways in which adults reflect on their psychological experiences amid a recent marital separation and how these patterns of thought, manifest in language, are associated with self-reported negative affect and actigraphy-assessed sleep disturbance.

METHODS

In a sample of 138 recently separated adults assessed three times over five months, we examined within- and between-person associations among psychological overinvolvement (operationalized using verbal immediacy derived as a function of the language participants used to discuss their relationship history and divorce experience), continued attachment to an ex-partner, negative affect, and sleep efficiency.

RESULTS

The association between psychological overinvolvement and negative affect operated at the within-person level, whereas the associations between psychological overinvolvement and sleep disturbance, as well as negative affect and sleep disturbance, operated at the between-person level.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings shed light on the intraindividual processes that may explain why some people are more susceptible to poor outcomes after separation/divorce than others. Our findings suggest that individuals who express their divorce-related thoughts and feelings in a psychologically overinvolved manner may be at greatest risk for sleep disturbances after marital separation/divorce.

Heterogeneity in College Student's Technology-Facilitated Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration Occurring Post-Breakup: A Latent Profile Analysis

Technology-facilitated intimate partner violence (T-IPV), including social media surveillance (SMS) and cyber dating abuse (CDA), are increasingly common post-breakup experiences among college students. Although a large body of research has focused on identifying risk factors for both types of T-IPV, perpetrators of T-IPV may differ in their pattern of risk factors. Using the I³ model as a guiding framework, the current study sought to identify typologies of college students engaging in post-breakup SMS and CDA. Specifically, 710 college students' responses on self-report measures were examined for similarities in known risk factors, namely attachment anxiety, impulse control difficulties, lack of emotion regulation strategies, intolerance of uncertainty, distress tolerance, and problematic alcohol use. Three distinct perpetrator profiles emerged with attachment anxiety, alcohol use, and intolerance of uncertainty presenting as distinguishing features. Problematic alcohol use was evident in the moderate and high levels of SMS and CDA perpetration profiles. Contrary to what was expected, there appeared to be little variability in emotional regulation and impulse control abilities across the three profiles such that individuals belonging to low and high perpetration profiles did not differ in the degree to which they were able to control their impulses or access emotion regulation strategies. Results highlight the potential importance of tailoring interventions, while reducing transdiagnostic risk factors, to account for the heterogeneity in risk factors among T-IPV perpetrators.

Women's Mental Health up to Eight Years after Childbirth and Associated Risk Factors: Longitudinal Findings from the All Our Families Cohort in Canada

OBJECTIVE

This study examined the prevalence of elevated maternal anxiety and/or depression symptoms up to eight years after childbirth and the association between role and relationship strains during parenting and mental health challenges from three to eight years after childbirth.

METHODS

This study used data from the All Our Families longitudinal pregnancy cohort. Role and relationship strain factors and anxiety and depression symptoms were measured at repeated time points from four months to eight years after childbirth. The proportion of women with elevated anxiety and/or depression was calculated at each available time point. Generalized estimating equation models were used to examine the association between role and relationship strain factors and anxiety and/or depression from three to eight years after childbirth. Predicted probability of having anxiety and/or depression was estimated across those with and without challenges with roles and relationships. The models were adjusted for known risk factors such as maternal income and perinatal anxiety and/or depression.

RESULTS

The prevalence of elevated anxiety and/or depression ranged from 18.8% (at four months) to 26.2% (at eight years). The adjusted odds ratio of anxiety and/or depression was 3.5 (95% CI = 2.9, 4.3) for those juggling family responsibilities and 2.4 (95% CI = 2.0, 3.0) for those with stressful partner relationship compared to their counterparts. Similarly, experiencing financial crunch and poor partner relationship were associated with increased mental health difficulties. Women without challenges in roles or relationships had a 23% lower predicted probability of anxiety and/or depression than those with the challenges.

CONCLUSIONS

Monitoring mothers for anxiety and depression beyond the postpartum period and strategies that address role and relationship challenges may be valuable to women at risk of anxiety and depression.

Attachment patterns and autobiographical episodic memory functioning: A systemic review of adult studies to advance clinical psychological science

Patterns of insecure attachment are associated with psychopathology but the mechanisms involved remain poorly understood. Cognitive science proposes that attachment patterns are influenced by the autobiographical memory system and in turn influence its ongoing functioning. Disturbances in autobiographical memory represent cognitive risks for later emotional difficulties. We systemically reviewed 33 studies (in 28 articles) examining the association between attachment patterns and autobiographical episodic memory (AEM) in individuals from the age of 16 (i.e., from young to older adulthood). Attachment patterns were associated with key areas of AEM phenomenology, including intensity and arousal; detail, specificity, and vividness; coherence and fragmentation; and accuracy and latency. These associations appeared to be moderated by contextual and individual factors; mediated by emotional regulation and schema-based processing; linked to mental health outcomes. Attachment patterns may also influence the impact of certain AEM-based manipulations. We conclude by providing a critical discussion and a research agenda for bringing together attachment, memory, and emotion, with a view to promote mechanism-driven treatment innovation in clinical psychology.

Real-time Assessment of the Bidirectional Relationship Between Affective States and Glucose: Protocol for a 14-Day Observational Study

BACKGROUND

Glucose variability increases cardiometabolic disease risk. While many factors can influence glucose levels, postprandial glucose response is the primary driver of glucose variability. Furthermore, affect may directly and indirectly impact glucose variability through its effect on eating behavior. Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) facilitate the real-time evaluation of blood glucose, and ecological momentary assessment (EMA) can be used to assess affect in real time. Together, data collected from these sources provide the opportunity to further understand the role of affect in glucose levels.

OBJECTIVE

This paper presents the protocol for a study that aims to (1) evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of using CGMs along with EMA in nondiabetic populations and (2) examine the bidirectional relationship between affect and glucose in nondiabetic adults with overweight or obesity using a CGM and EMA.

METHODS

Eligibility criteria for the study include participants (1) aged 18 to 65 years old, (2) with a BMI of ≥25 kg/m², (3) who are able to read and write in English, and (4) who own a smartphone. Individuals will be excluded if they (1) have type 1 or 2 diabetes or have any other condition that requires glucose monitoring, (2) are pregnant, (3) use any medications that have the potential to alter blood glucose levels or interfere with the glucose sensing process, or (4) have a diagnosed gastrointestinal condition or eating disorder. In a 14-day observational study, participants will wear a FreeStyle Libre Pro CGM sensor (Abbott) and will receive mobile phone-based EMA prompts 6 times per day (randomly within six 2-hour windows between 8 AM and 8 PM) to assess positive and negative affect. Participants will also wear a Fitbit Inspire 2 (Fitbit) to continuously monitor physical activity and sleep, which will be included as covariates in the analysis. Multilevel linear regression models will be used to evaluate the acute relationship between glucose level and affect.

RESULTS

Recruitment started in October 2022 and is expected to be completed in March 2023. We will aim to recruit 100 participants. As of December 12, 2022, a total of 39 participants have been enrolled.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study will further elucidate the role of affect in glucose variability. By identifying affective states that may lead to glucose excursions, our findings could inform just-in-time behavioral interventions by indicating opportunities for intervention delivery.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/45104.

Alexinomia: The fear of using personal names

Introduction

Preliminary research based on everyday observations suggests that there are people, who experience severe fear when addressing others with their personal names. The aim of this study was to explore the extent to which this hitherto little-known psychological phenomenon really exists and to investigate its characteristic features, considering the everyday experience of not being able to use names and its impact on affected individuals and their social interactions and relationships.

Methods

In this mixed-methods study based on semi-structured interviews and psychometric testing, 13 affected female participants were interviewed and evaluated using self-report measures of social anxiety, attachment-related vulnerability, and general personality traits. An inductive content analysis and inferential statistical methods were used to analyze qualitative and quantitative data, respectively.

Results

Our findings show that affected individuals experience psychological distress and a variety of negative emotions in situations in which addressing others with their name is intended, resulting in avoidance behavior, impaired social interactions, and a reduced quality of affected relationships.

Discussion

The behavior can affect all relationships and all forms of communication and is strongly linked to social anxiety and insecure attachment. We propose calling this phenomenon Alexinomia, meaning “no words for names”.

Evaluation of the Danish version of the prenatal parental reflective functioning questionnaire in early pregnancy as a screening tool

Parental reflective functioning (PRF) is the capacity to focus on feelings and experiences in oneself as a parent and in the child. Research has demonstrated that, the better the PRF the better outcomes for the child. This paper evaluated the Danish version of the prenatal parental reflective functioning questionnaire (P-PRFQ). We used data from a cluster-randomized trial of pregnant women recruited from Danish general practice. The sample included 605 mothers. Factor structure and internal consistency were investigated. Linear regression analysis was used to examine the associations between the P-PRFQ score and the five most predictive variables. The confirmatory factor analyses supported the three-factor model. The P-PRFQ had moderate internal consistency. The regression analysis showed a decrease in the P-PRFQ score with increasing age, increasing parity, current employment, better self-reported health, lower anxiety score, and fewer negative life events with persistent impact. The directions of the associations between P-PRFQ score and the predictive variables were opposite of what was hypothesized raising questions about whether the P-PRFQ can be used as an early pregnancy screening tool assessing prenatal PRF. Further validation studies are required to assess the extent to which the P-PRFQ truly measures reflective functioning.