Changes in attachment styles and interpersonal problems after different forms of psychotherapy

• Attachment theorists and researchers have argued that psychotherapy may be an opportunity to revise insecure attachment styles, enabling more flexibility in interpersonal relationships. Attachment theory was developed to understand human reactions to life stressors, such as loss and separation. The term attachment style reflects a person’s most typical internal working models to seek proximity in relationships. This study examines whether self-reported attachment styles measured by the Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ) changed after a course of either cognitive behavioural (CBT) or psychodynamic oriented psychotherapy (PDT) in a clinical sample of psychotherapy patients (n= 111). One aim was to examine changes related to differences in gender, age, diagnoses, therapy method and number of sessions. Another aim was to examine whether changes correlated with changes in interpersonal problems measured by the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP). Results showed an increase in security in attachment styles that correlated with a decrease in interpersonal problems. No differences between therapy methods were found. The age group 26 to 39 reported greater security and less avoidance compared to patients over 40. Patients who attended between 11 and 25 sessions scored higher as regards security compared to those with 1-10 sessions but there was no difference for those with more than 25 sessions. The study supports results from a few other studies that psychotherapy increases the attachment-related security of patients. As an increase in security is associated with a decrease in interpersonal problems, attachment styles can be perceived as mediating factors in psychotherapy outcome irrespective of psychotherapy orientation.

Nyckelord

Attachment styles

interpersonal problems

psychotherapy outcome

therapeutic alliance

Medicine

Medicin

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

ovr (ämneskategori)