The Relation of Anxiety and Avoidance Dimensions of Attachment to Intimate Partner Violence: A Meta-Analysis About Perpetrators

Intimate Partner Sexual Violence in Emerging Adulthood: Exploring Sexual Consent Attitudes as a Target for Sexual Coercion Prevention

While intimate partner violence is now recognized as a major societal and international issue, sexual violence between partners remains understudied despite its significant prevalence rates and the specific contexts in which it occurs. The aim of this study was to analyze the links between different dimensions of sexual consent and sexual coercion experienced within intimate relationships in order to identify targets for prevention campaigns. The study was carried out during a time of transition in the sociopolitical and legislative context in Belgium linked to the implementation of a reform to the sexual criminal law, which has made the expression of sexual consent central to the qualification of sexual offenses. A total of 431 young adults (88.40% female; Mage = 22.19 years; SDage = 1.79) were recruited from the general population through an online survey to analyze the links between attitudes and beliefs toward sexual consent, attachment style, mental health, and sexual victimization between partners. Results showed that a lack of perceived behavioral control over establishing sexual consent, as well as the avoidance of intimacy, predicted sexual victimization. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed and potential public policy responses for prevention and awareness are suggested. Future research should further investigate and conceptualize sexual consent as it relates to sexual coercion in a more representative sample from an intersectional perspective.

Childhood emotional maltreatment and internalizing problems in a non-clinical sample of adolescents: a moderated-mediation model of insecure anxious attachment style and gender

Childhood emotional maltreatment (abuse and neglect) may contribute to the development of internalizing problems in adolescence. However, the mechanisms explaining this association should be examined further. This study explored the mediating role of insecure anxious attachment style in the relationship between emotional maltreatment and internalizing symptoms in a non-clinical sample of adolescents. Analyses were also conducted to determine whether gender moderated the direct and indirect pathways between emotional maltreatment and internalizing problems. We recruited 449 adolescents aged between 14 and 18 years old [(Mage)=16.46, standard deviation (SD)=1.38]. 60.8% of adolescents were female (Mage=16.51, SD=1.43), whereas 39.2% identified as male (Mage=16.39, SD=1.28). Participants completed a survey including socio-demographic information and three selfreport questionnaires: the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form, the Attachment Style Questionnaire, and the Youth Self- Report for ages 11-18. Results showed that emotional abuse and neglect were related to internalizing problems both directly and indirectly through anxious attachment style. Girls who experienced higher levels of emotional abuse and who had an anxious attachment style reported more internalizing problems than boys, whereas higher levels of emotional neglect were associated with increasing levels of internalizing problems only for boys. This study expanded our knowledge of the role of anxious attachment in the onset of internalizing problems among adolescents with experiences of childhood emotional maltreatment.

The unique role of adolescent internalizing and externalizing problems, and maternal-adolescent communication in their association with attachment in early adulthood

Attachment styles influence mental health and relationships through life. Few studies examine the adolescent factors associated with adult attachment styles. This paper examines the association between adolescent emotional and behavioral problems and maternal-adolescent communication with attachment style in early adulthood. Data from 3423 participants in a birth cohort study were examined. At 14-years, participants' mothers completed the Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale. Participants completed the Youth Self-Report at 14-years which measures internalizing and externalizing symptoms, and the Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ) at 21-years. The ASQ comprises five domains of internal working models of interpersonal relationships and attachment style: confidence (security), discomfort with closeness and relationships as secondary (avoidance), need for approval and preoccupation with relationships (anxiety). Associations were examined using general linear models. After adjustments, internalizing symptoms score was associated with all domains of attachment and externalizing symptoms score was associated with four domains of attachment insecurity, but not attachment security. Low openness in maternal-adolescent communication was most strongly associated with decreased confidence and high problem maternal-adolescent communication was associated with viewing relationships as secondary. Adolescents with emotional and behavioral problems and maternal-adolescent communication may benefit from attachment-based interventions to support the development of healthy relationships and attachments in young adulthood.

Romantic Attachment and Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrated by Men: The Role of Affect Dysregulation and Gender Hostility

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major public health problem, associated with considerable consequences for the victims. Among the risk factors associated with the perpetration of male IPV, attachment insecurities (avoidance, anxiety) and affect dysregulation (AD) have received strong empirical support. A few studies showed that hostility toward women (HTW) is a correlate of IPV perpetration, but none have explored hostility toward men (HTM). This study's aim was to test direct and indirect associations between romantic attachment insecurities and IPV perpetration (psychological, physical, and sexual coercion) through AD in men seeking help, and to examine the moderator role of HTW and HTM in theses links. A sample of 1,845 men aged between 18 and 88 years and from a diverse population (e.g., cultural background, education, and sexual orientation) were recruited through 18 community organizations providing IPV services in a Canadian province. As part of the systematic assessment protocol of each organization, participants answered a series of online questionnaires. Results from a path analysis model showed indirect associations between attachment insecurities (avoidance and anxiety) and IPV perpetration (psychological, physical, and sexual coercion) through AD. Beyond these links, attachment avoidance was also directly associated with psychological violence, attachment anxiety with sexual coercion, and HTM with sexual coercion. The results revealed two moderation effects: higher HTW amplified the link between AD and physical IPV, whereas higher HTM amplified the link between AD and sexual coercion. Results highlight the relevance of assessing attachment, AD, and gender hostility in IPV programs. They also highlight the relevance of targeting HTM as a risk marker for IPV perpetration in men.

Attachment, Mental Health, and Alcohol Use by Men: The Mediating Role of Cumulative Lifetime Violence Severity

Cumulative lifetime violence (CLV) encompasses many different types and contexts of violence that occur across the lifespan and is associated with negative mental health outcomes in men; however, little attention has been paid to other factors that can influence these relationships such as attachment style. In this analysis, our focus is to understand how attachment styles directly and indirectly through CLV affect men's mental health, specifically depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and alcohol use. Data from 597 Canadian men with lifetime experiences of violence who participated in our national online survey focusing on violence and health were used for mediation analysis. Results indicated that CLV severity mediated the relationship between attachment anxiety (but not attachment avoidance) and depression, anxiety, PTSD, and alcohol use. Although attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance each directly affected depression, anxiety, and PTSD, neither directly affected alcohol use. Importantly, these findings provide the first evidence that the mechanism by which anxious attachment affects alcohol use is through CLV severity. These findings highlight the importance of anxious attachment on mental health outcomes for men who have experienced CLV.

Do insecure adult attachment styles mediate the relationship between childhood maltreatment and violent behavior?

Attachment theory has played an important role in attempts to understand the "cycle of violence," where maltreated children are at increased risk for perpetrating violence later in life. However, little is known empirically about whether adult attachment insecurity in close relationships may partly explain the link between childhood maltreatment and violent behavior. This study aimed to address this gap using data from a prospective longitudinal study of documented childhood abuse and neglect cases and demographically matched controls (ages 0-11 years), who were followed into adulthood and interviewed (N = 892). Participants completed the Relationship Scales Questionnaire assessing adult attachment styles at mean age 39.54. Criminal arrest data were used to determine arrests for violence after the assessment of attachment through mean age 50.54. There were significant direct paths from childhood maltreatment and adult attachment insecurity to violent arrests after attachment measurement. Attachment insecurity partly explained the higher levels of violence in individuals with maltreatment histories. Analyses of maltreatment subtypes and attachment styles revealed that attachment anxiety appeared to mediate paths between neglect and physical abuse and later violence. There were no significant indirect paths from neglect or physical abuse to violence via attachment avoidance. Implications and future directions are discussed.

Afrocentric Cultural Norms, Mental Health Functioning, and the Perception of Intimate Partner Violence Among Young Black Men

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious public health concern that profoundly impacts the lives of women globally. While IPV cuts across race, socioeconomic status, age groups, and geography, Black women are disproportionately affected. Prior studies report that Black women predominantly couple with Black men and thus, understanding factors associated with IPV perpetration among Black men is essential. Subsequently, the present study explored an important gap in the literature, exploring how collectivism, a core belief ascribed to Afrocentric cultural norms, and factors associated with mental health functioning in emerging adult Black men in the USA is associated with their views of IPV. Data for the study was drawn from a sample of self-identifying Black American males between the ages of 18 and 25 (n=300). Regression analysis demonstrated no significant relationship between age, household income, and education level among participants. Anxiety had a significant relationship with intimate partner beliefs with participants with increased anxiety having more problematic intimate partner beliefs. A model including anxiety, collectivism, and aggressiveness was a significant predictor of problematic intimate partner beliefs. In the final model, collectivism and aggressiveness were statistically significant predictors of perceptions endorsing IPV. Participants who reported higher levels of global aggressive confrontation with others were more likely to endorse IPV. Overall, participants with a sense of value for collectivism over individualism were least likely to endorse IPV. This study provides evidence that cultural norms potentially have a role in Black men's beliefs about IPV. Implications for future research are provided.

The Role of Attachment, Insecurity, and Stress in Partner Maltreatment: A Meta-Analysis

Negative, destructive, and abusive behaviors in romantic relationships can vary from explicit kinds of abuse and aggression to more subtle and seemingly innocuous slights against or ways of treating a partner. However, regardless of the severity or explicit nature, these behaviors all, to one extent or another, reflect acts of invalidation, disrespect, aggression, or neglect toward a partner, and could be considered maltreatment of a partner. The current paper proposes the term partner maltreatment as a broad overarching concept, which was used to facilitate a meta-analytic synthesis of the literature to examine the associations between attachment insecurity (i.e., attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance) and perpetration of partner maltreatment. Additionally, this paper situated partner maltreatment within an attachment-based diathesis-stress perspective to explore the moderating role of stress. Five databases were systematically searched for published and unpublished studies that examined the direct association between perpetrator's adult attachment orientation and perpetration of partner maltreatment behaviors. We synthesized effect sizes from 139 studies (N = 38,472) and found the effect between attachment insecurity and acts of partner maltreatment varied between r = .11 to .21. Our findings provide meta-analytic evidence to suggest that attachment insecurity is a significant individual vulnerability factor (diathesis) associated with partner maltreatment; and that when individuals with an insecure attachment orientation experience stress, the tendency to perpetrate partner maltreatment is typically heightened. The findings of this meta-analysis provide empirical evidence for the importance of considering and addressing contextual factors, especially stress, for those individuals and couples seeking therapy for partner maltreatment.

Risk factors for traumatic bonding and associations with PTSD symptoms: A moderated mediation

BACKGROUND

Traumatic bonding, defined as attachment to a perpetrator of intimate partner violence (IPV), offers one explanation as to why many people with abusive romantic partners do not break off these relationships. But what individual-level risk factors make some victims of IPV more likely than others to develop traumatic bonding toward their partners? What is the nature of the potential association between traumatic bonding and PTSD symptoms?

PARTICIPANTS

A path model tested the potential roles of childhood maltreatment and attachment insecurity as risk factors for traumatic bonding, as well as the potential association between traumatic bonding and PTSD symptoms, in a high-risk sample of 354 participants in current abusive relationships.

RESULTS

As hypothesized, childhood maltreatment and attachment insecurity significantly predicted traumatic bonding over and above the effects of age, gender, and romantic love. In addition, attachment insecurity moderated the association between childhood maltreatment and traumatic bonding, such that at higher levels of attachment insecurity, the association between childhood maltreatment and traumatic bonding was stronger than at mean or lower levels of attachment insecurity. Traumatic bonding was positively associated with PTSD symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, the results support the role of childhood maltreatment as a risk factor for both traumatic bonding and PTSD symptoms and highlight the importance of attachment insecurity in these associations. This was the first study to examine a complex model of risk factors for traumatic bonding. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.

A test of the dyadic associations between ineffective arguing, emotional distress, and violence perpetration and victimization among couples seeking therapy

Researchers have tested associations between ineffective arguing and emotional distress among couples without relationship violence. Moreover, studies have demonstrated associations between physical violence perpetration and victimization in the aftermath of emotional distress. However, there is a paucity of research examining linkages between ineffective arguing, emotional distress, and physical violence perpetration or victimization. Dyadic data from 231 married, heterosexual couples seeking therapy were used to test a model examining pathways between ineffective arguing and physical violence perpetration and victimization through emotional distress. The hypothesized model was compared to two plausible alternative models. Results revealed higher levels of men's ineffective arguing were positively associated with men's physical violence perpetration, both directly and indirectly, through higher levels of emotional distress. Higher levels of men's ineffective arguing were associated with lower men's physical violence perpetration through higher levels of women's emotional distress. Results can inform the clinical treatment of interpersonal violence by targeting ineffective arguing and emotional distress.

Cultural adaptation and validation of the Italian version of the current relationship interview

Background

The study of romantic relationships is based on attachment theory and the Current Relationship Interview (CRI) is a powerful tool that allows the optimal investigation of attachment representations toward romantic partners. However, evidence in this field is still unsatisfactory and further research is needed. This study aims to examine the associations between the adult attachment to partner, the style of conflict resolution, and dyadic adjustment.

Methods

We administrated the Italian version of the CRI, the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), and the Rahim Organizational Conflict Inventory questionnaire - Section II (ROCI II) - to a sample of 100 heterosexual couples.

Results

Individuals with preoccupied attachment reported lower levels of dyadic adjustment and men, but not women, with preoccupied attachment reported lower levels of dyadic cohesion. Levels of dyadic adjustment reported by women/men did not vary according to their attachment types. Levels of dyadic adjustment reported by couples and by women did not vary according to the matching status of attachment types between partners. However, men in romantic relationship characterized by a mismatch between attachment types reported higher levels of consensus compared to their counterparts.

Conclusion

The Italian version of the CRI proves an useful tool to investigate processes underlying romantic relationships. The role of current attachment in these processes appears to be highly complex and its investigation might be impacted by methodological issues, calling for additional studies.

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.

The Relation of Anxiety and Avoidance Dimensions of Attachment to Intimate Partner Violence: A Meta-Analysis About Victims

Objective: Attachment theory is a useful framework for understanding the phenomenon of intimate partner violence (IPV) victimisation. Many studies have examined the relationship between attachment and IPV victimisation. The need to examine the nature of this relationship through a meta-analytic approach arises from an awareness of the amount of contrasting data surrounding the topic. Method: Searching five databases (PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science and PubMed) and screening 4343 records, resulted in 34 studies comprising 1271 individuals who met the inclusion criteria for this meta-analysis. Results: Results about attachment anxiety showed significant and moderate effect sizes (ranging from .18 for generic violence to .25 for sexual violence). Results about attachment avoidance also showed significant and moderate effect sizes (ranging from .18 for physical violence to .30 for generic violence). Conclusions: The meta-analysis findings highlight that the relationship between the dimensions of anxiety and the avoidance of attachment are significantly related to all forms of IPV victimisation, with moderate and moderate-to-strong effect sizes, respectively. These results are significant in that they confirm the importance of the relationship between attachment and IPV victimisation, suggesting promising new directions in which this field can further develop.

The associations of everyday and major discrimination exposure with violence and poor mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic

Research on discrimination and risks for violence and mental health issues under the pandemic is notably absent. We examined the relative effects of perceived everyday discrimination (e.g., poorer service, disrespectful treatment in a typical week) and major experiences of race-based discrimination (e.g., racial/ethnic discrimination in housing or employment at any point in the lifetime) on experiences of violence and the PHQ-4 assessment of symptoms of depression and anxiety under the pandemic. We analyzed state-representative cross-sectional survey data from California adults (N = 2114) collected in March 2021. We conducted multivariate regression models adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, gender, sexual identity, income, and disability. One in four Californians (26.1%) experienced everyday discrimination in public spaces, due most often to race/ethnicity and gender. We found that everyday discrimination was significantly associated with past year physical violence (single form Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] 5.0, 95% CI 2.5-10.3; multiple forms AOR 2.6, 95% CI 1.1-5.8), past year sexual violence (multiple forms AOR 2.5, 95% CI 1.4-4.4), and mental health symptoms (e.g., severe symptoms, multiple forms AOR 3.3, 95% CI 1.6-6.7). Major experiences of race-based discrimination (reported by 10.0% of Californians) were associated with past year sexual violence (AOR 2.0, 95% CI 1.1-3.8) and severe mental health symptoms (AOR 2.7, 95% CI 1.2-6.2). Non-race-based major discrimination (reported by 23.9% of Californians) was also associated with violence and mental health outcomes Everyday discrimination, more than major experiences of discrimination, was associated with higher risk for violence and poor mental health outcomes during the pandemic. Non-race-based forms of major discrimination independently were also associated with these negative outcomes. Findings indicate that efforts to reduce and ultimately eliminate discrimination should be a focus of public health and COVID-19 rebuilding efforts.

When State Violence Comes Home: From Criminal Legal System Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence in a Time of Mass Incarceration

Exceptionally high rates of partner violence perpetration are evident among men returning from prison. Two bodies of scholarship, one on family stress and another on exposure to state violence, each suggest that criminal legal system exposure could promote partner violence perpetration via changes in men's behavioral health and interpersonal approach and in couples' conflict dynamics. Such relationships have not been tested in quantitative research. Structural equation models were fitted to longitudinal, couples-based survey data from the Multi-site Family Study on Incarceration, Parenting, and Partnering. Participants included men returning from a state prison term in five U.S. states (N = 1112) and their committed intimate or co-parenting partners (N = 1112). Models tested hypothesized pathways from three dimensions of criminal legal system exposure to later partner violence perpetration. In fitted models, men's childhood criminal legal system exposure predicts their post-prison partner violence perpetration via adult post-traumatic stress symptoms, reactivity, avoidance, and dysfunctional couple conflict dynamics. Men's cumulative criminal legal system exposure in adulthood predicts their post-prison partner violence perpetration via addiction and dysfunctional couple conflict. These initial results suggest that mass-scale incarceration could worsen partner violence via men's psychological and interpersonal adaptations to criminal legal system contact, particularly when such contact is sustained or occurs at a developmentally significant period in the life course.

Childhood exposure to parental violence, attachment insecurities, and intimate partner violence perpetration among Arab adults in Israel

BACKGROUND

Extensive research supports the existence of a "cycle of violence" that links exposure to parental violence during childhood (i.e., witnessing interparental violence and child maltreatment) with intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration. However, there is still a need to explore the mechanisms through which early exposure to parental violence may foster IPV perpetration during adulthood.

OBJECTIVE

In this study, we examine the mediating role of attachment insecurities and gender differences in the relationship between exposure to parental violence during childhood and IPV perpetration during adulthood.

METHOD, PARTICIPANTS, AND SETTING

We conducted a cross-sectional survey among a representative sample of 604 married Arab adults (M age = 33.5, SD = 6.52; 50.1 % women) in Israel using a self-administered questionnaire.

RESULTS

Exposure to physical violence, both as a victim and indirectly as a witness in childhood, was found positively correlated with adulthood IPV perpetration, with effect sizes ranging from weak (f² = 0.01) to moderate (f² = 0.15). Further, attachment-related avoidance was found to mediate the association between witnessing interparental physical violence and IPV perpetration. Gender differences were found in this relationship, with a stronger association indicated among male participants than among females.

CONCLUSION

Exposure to physical violence may be understood as a risk factor for IPV perpetration directly and indirectly through the development of attachment-related avoidance.

Exploring Insecure Romantic Attachment and Justifications for the Use of Intimate Partner Psychological Aggression in Couples

The attachment theory has commonly been used to examine intimate partner psychological aggression (IPPA), but few studies have examined its association with self-reported justifications for one's own use of IPPA. Behaviors, including the use of IPPA, are influenced, maintained, and function within the context of their justifications, highlighting the importance of investigating these justifications to obtain a clearer picture of IPPA. This study examined whether insecure romantic attachment (i.e., attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance) in both partners of a couple was associated with their justifications for their own use of IPPA. A community sample of 81 mixed-sex couples who reported using IPPA in the last year completed self-reported questionnaires on adult romantic attachment and their justifications for their use of IPPA. Results of a path analysis based on the actor-partner interdependence model revealed moderate positive associations between attachment anxiety and one's use of internal and external justifications for their IPPA perpetration in men and women. An unexpected dyadic positive association is discussed. These results suggest that the use of justifications for one's use of IPPA may reflect a strategy of hyperactivation that could contribute to the cycle of psychological aggression. Uncovering the function of these justifications could provide important therapeutic benefits, which are discussed in the study's implications.

The effects of irrational romantic relationship beliefs and experiences in close relationships on dating violence of nursing and midwifery students

PURPOSE

This study aimed to investigate the effects of irrational romantic relationship beliefs and experiences in close relationships on dating violence of nursing and midwifery students.

METHODS

This was a descriptive, correlational study. The study was conducted with 261 nursing and midwifery students in a university located in northeastern Turkey.

RESULTS

A negative and moderate correlation was found between students' dating violence with the use of social time and different thinking (p < 0.01). Anxious attachment (β = -3.241), secure attachment (β = -3.119), use of social time (β = -0.252), and different thinking (β = -2.788) were predictors of dating violence (p < 0.01).

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Nursing and midwifery students exposed to dating violence should be applied psychosocial interventions including motivational interviewing and cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Attachment and Dyadic Forgiveness in Individuals in Same-Sex Couple Relationships

(1) Background: There is abundant evidence linking attachment insecurity to lower levels of interpersonal forgiveness. However, this association has been almost exclusively explored in people in a different-sex couple relationship, and there is little evidence referring to gay, lesbian, and bisexual (LGB) people in a same-sex relationship. The present study examines the association between romantic attachment and dyadic forgiveness in individuals involved in a same-sex couple relationship. (2) Methods: A total of 248 participants (52.8% female) aged 18-67 years (mean age: 31.02 ± 9.39) completed the Experiences in Close Relationships questionnaire and the Transgression-Related Interpersonal Motivation Inventory. (3) Results: Structural equation modeling showed that attachment avoidance was more strongly associated with dyadic forgiveness than attachment anxiety. Higher levels of attachment anxiety and avoidance were both linked to higher levels of avoidance motivation in response to partner transgressions, and higher attachment avoidance was linked to lower benevolence motivation. Multigroup analyses indicated a gender-specific association between attachment avoidance and revenge motivations, which was positive and significant among men only. (4) Conclusions: In the present study, we have identified that attachment avoidance plays a more prominent role in the tendency to forgive in same-sex couples. Implications at both theoretical and clinical practice levels are discussed.

Correlations between smartphone addiction and alexithymia, attachment style, and subjective well-being: A meta-analysis

Background

Smartphone addiction (SA) has become a social problem that affects peoples’ quality of life and is frequently reported to be correlated with alexithymia, avoidant or anxious attachment styles, and subjective well-being. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between SA and alexithymia, attachment style, and subjective well-being.

Methods

A meta-analysis was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The following electronic databases were searched: PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, PsycINFO, PsycArticles, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), WANFANG DATA, and Chongqing VIP Information Co., Ltd. (VIP). Stata 16.0 was used to analyze the overall effect and test the moderating effect.

Results

One hundred and ten studies were included, involving a total of 96,680 participants. SA had a significantly high positive correlation with alexithymia (r = 0.40), attachment anxiety (r = 0.37), and negative emotions (r = 0.31), and a low positive correlation with attachment avoidance (r = 0.17). In addition, there was a high negative correlation between SA and subjective well-being (r = –0.33) and a low negative correlation between SA, life satisfaction (r = –0.17), and positive emotions (r = –0.18). A moderation analysis revealed that age significantly moderated the relationship between SA and positive emotions. The tools for measuring SA significantly moderated the relationship between SA, alexithymia, attachment anxiety, and subjective well-being. Meanwhile, subjective well-being measurement tools significantly moderated the relationships between SA, subjective well-being, and negative emotions.

Conclusion

SA was closely related to alexithymia, attachment style, and subjective well-being. In the future, longitudinal research can be conducted to better investigate the dynamic changes in the relationship between them.

Systematic review registration

[www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/], identifier [CRD42022334798].

Assessment of Unresolved/Disorganized State of Mind in Relation to Attachment: A ROC Curve Study Using the Adult Attachment Interview and the Measure of Parental Style

OBJECTIVE

The main objective of the present study was to use the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to identify cut-off points for a self-report measure assessing parental style, i.e., the Measure of Parental Style (MOPS), that are able to discriminate individuals with disorganized internal working models (IWMs) of attachment with adequate accuracy, in terms of sensitivity and specificity. Establishing cut-off points for the MOPS could provide clinicians and researchers with a valuable tool to investigate the role of disorganized IWMs as a link between parental styles and mental health.

METHOD

A sample of 90 university students (mean age = 21.21 ± 2.05, females = 66) was enrolled in the study. We used the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) to assess disorganized IWM and the MOPS to assess parental styles. Subsequently, we used ROC curve analysis to pursue the objective of the study.

RESULTS

The ROC curve analysis showed that the MOPS total score (i.e., the combination of maternal and paternal dimensions) was able to discriminate individuals with disorganized IWMs from individuals with organized IWMs (AUC= 0.77). Specifically, a score ≥ 25 (Youden index= 0.497) categorized individuals with a sensitivity of 0.69 (69% of participants with disorganized IWMs were correctly identified) and a specificity of 0.81 (19% of participants were incorrectly identified as having disorganized IWMs).

CONCLUSIONS

Although the AAI has demonstrated high psychometric properties for assessing attachment representations in adulthood, its use is difficult when studies with large samples are to be conducted. As an alternative to the AAI, the MOPS can be used in studies with large populations, but no cut-off has yet been proposed. Here, we have identified cut-off points for the MOPS that are capable of detecting disorganized IWMs of attachment with adequate accuracy, and we suggest that this self-report is a useful brief instrument for detecting disorganized IWMs when time constraints prevent the use of the AAI (e.g., in studies with large samples or epidemiological studies).

Psychological Intimate Partner Violence, Insecure Attachment, and Parental Psychological Control from Adolescence to Emerging Adulthood

We examine if psychological intimate partner violence (pIPV) is predicted by parental psychological control (PPC) via insecure attachment. Our results analyzing longitudinal data from the Child Development Project show that PPC perceived at age 16 predicts insecure attachment at age 18, which then predicts pIPV at age 24. Moreover, the paths with attachment anxiety are consistently significant while ones with attachment avoidance are not. Further, all the paths are significant regardless of the gender of the adolescents and parents, which indicates that PPC is detrimental regardless of the gender of the adolescents or parents. Lastly, PPC perceived at age 16 does not directly predict pIPV at age 24, which suggests that social learning theory of aggression (Bandura, 1978) may not explain the association from PPC to pIPV. Our results suggest that research and practice would benefit by considering PPC as an antecedent of pIPV via insecure attachment from adolescence to emerging adulthood.

The role of relationship dissatisfaction in the dyadic associations between attachment insecurity and intimate partner violence among couples seeking therapy

For several decades, attempts have been made to understand the risk markers of intimate partner violence (IPV) to prevent its occurrence, but few studies have emphasized both partners' perspective in examining these markers. This study explored the associations between attachment insecurity (anxiety and avoidance) and the perpetration of psychological and physical IPV through relationship dissatisfaction in a sample of 88 couples seeking therapy for relationship difficulties. Results from path analyses based on the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model showed that participants' attachment avoidance was indirectly related to their own and their partner's higher perpetration of psychological IPV through higher relationship dissatisfaction. Participants' attachment avoidance was also associated with their own higher perpetration of physical IPV through their higher relationship dissatisfaction. The findings highlight that attachment insecurities and relationship dissatisfaction can both contribute to establishing dysfunctional and violent interaction patterns in couples.