https://doi.org/10.4081/ripppo.2023.689
Attachment styles, mental health, and trauma during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic in an Italian adult population
Submitted: February 23, 2023
Accepted: December 4, 2023
Published: December 31, 2023
Accepted: December 4, 2023
Abstract Views: 567
PDF: 308
HTML: 24
HTML: 24
Publisher's note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Authors
The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted adults’ mental health around the world. Various studies highlighted the role of sociodemographic risk factors, including age, gender, and level of education, in increasing this impact. Although insecure attachment styles are considered a vulnerability factor for psychopathology and difficulties in coping with stressful situations, few studies have examined the role of attachment styles in relation to psychological responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to investigate the role of attachment styles in affecting psychopathological problems and post-traumatic symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic in a sample of Italian adults (N=1548). During the first lockdown in Italy, the Attachment Style Questionnaire, the Impact of Event Scale-Revised, and Symptom Checklist 90-Revised were administered to the participants to assess attachment styles, trauma-related symptoms, and psychopathological problems. The results showed that 41% of the participants had symptoms of clinical and subclinical relevance during the pandemic. Anxious and avoidant insecure attachment styles predicted psychopathological problems and post-traumatic symptoms, whereas secure attachment style was a protective factor. Our results highlighted the significant role played by the quality of attachment styles on adult mental health during the pandemic, providing valuable elements for targeted psychological support interventions.
Bartholomew, K., & Horowitz, L.M. (1991). Attachment styles among young adults: a test of a four-category model. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 61, 226. doi: 10.1037//0022-3514.61.2.226.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.61.2.226
Cao, W., Fang, Z., Hou, G., Han, M., Xu, X., Dong, J., & Zheng, J. (2020). The psychological impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on college students in China. Psychiatry Research, 287, 112934. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112934.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112934
Cassidy, J., Jones, J.D., & Shaver, P.R. (2013). Contributions of attachment theory and research: a framework for future research, translation, and policy. Development and Psychopathology, 25, 1415–1434. doi: 10.1017/S0954579413000692
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579413000692
Cavalera, C., Quiroga, A., & Oasi, O. (2023). Ashamed or afraid? Traumatic symptom severity and emotional activations of Covid-19-related events. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 82, 103500. doi: 10.1016/j.ajp.2023.103500
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2023.103500
De Salve, F., Rossi, C., Cavalera, C., Malvini, L., Barbera, S., Tagliabue, S., ... & Oasi, O. (2023). Personality traits and transition to psychosis one year after the first assessment. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1096626. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1096626
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1096626
Doron, G., Moulding, R., Kyrios, M., Nedeljkovic, M., & Mikulincer, M. (2009). Adult attachment insecurities are related to obsessive compulsive phenomena. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 28, 1022-1049. doi: 10.1521/jscp.2009.28.8.1022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1521/jscp.2009.28.8.1022
Dozier, M., Stovall-McClough, K.C., & Albus, K.E. (2008). Attachment and psychopathology in adulthood. In J. Cassidy, & P.R. Shaver (Eds.), Handbook of attachment: Theory, research, and clinical applications (pp. 718–744). Guilford Press, New York.
Feeney, J.A., Noller, P., & Hanrahan, M. (1994). Assessing adult attachment. In M.B. Sperling, & W.H. Berman (Eds.), Attachment in adults: Clinical and developmental perspectives (pp.128-152). Guilford Press, New York.
Fossati, A., Feeney, J.A., Donati, D., Donini, M., Novella, L., Bagnato, M., Acquarini, E., & Maffei, C. (2003). On the dimensionality of the Attachment Style Questionnaire in Italian clinical and non-clinical participants. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 20, 55-79. doi: 10.1177/02654075030201003
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407503020001187
Garrison, A.M., Kahn, J.H., Miller, S.A., & Sauer, E.M. (2014). Emotional avoidance and rumination as mediators of the relation between adult attachment and emotional disclosure. Personality and Individual Differences, 70, 239-245. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2014.07.006
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2014.07.006
Karatzias, T., Shevlin, M., Murphy, J., McBride, O., Ben-Ezra, M., Bentall, R.P., Vallières, F., & Hyland, P. (2020). Post-traumatic stress symptoms and associated comorbidity during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ireland: a population-based study. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 33, 365-370. doi: 10.1002/jts.22565
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22565
Ierardi, E., Bottini, M., & Riva Crugnola, C. (2022). Psychodynamic counselling intervention aimed at students before and during the COVID-19 period: Online vs face-to-face intervention. BMC Psychology, 10, 35. doi: 10.1186/s40359-022-00742-7
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-022-00742-7
Liu, N., Zhang, F., Wei, C., Jia, Y., Shang, Z., Sun, L., … Liu, W. (2020). Prevalence and predictors of PTSS during COVID-19 outbreak in China hardest-hit areas: gender differences matter. Psychiatry Research, 287, 112921. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112921
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112921
McWilliams, L. A., & Bailey, S. J. (2010). Associations between adult attachment ratings and health conditions: Evidence from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Health Psychology, 29, 446-453. doi: 10.1037/a0020061
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/a0020061
Monteleone, A.M., Cardi, V., Volpe, U., Fico, G., Ruzzi, V., Pellegrino, F., Castellini, G., Monteleone, P., & Maj, M. (2008). Attachment and motivational systems: Relevance of sensitivity to punishment for eating disorder psychopathology. Psychiatry Research, 260, 353-359. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2017.12.002
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2017.12.002
Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P.R. (2012). An attachment perspective on psychopathology. World Psychiatry, 11, 11-15. doi: 10.1016/j.wpsyc.2012.01.003
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wpsyc.2012.01.003
Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P.R. (2015). The psychological effects of the contextual activation of security-enhancing mental representations in adulthood. Current Opinion in Psychology, 1, 18-21. doi: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2015.01.008
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2015.01.008
Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P.R. (2020). Broaden-and-build effects of contextually boosting the sense of attachment security in adulthood. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 29, 22-26. doi: 10.1177/0963721419885997
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721419885997
Moccia, L., Janiri, D., Pepe, M., Dattoli, L., Molinaro, M., De Martin, V., ... Di Nicola, M. (2020). Affective temperament, attachment style, and the psychological impact of the COVID-19 outbreak: an early report on the Italian general population. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 87, 75-79. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.04.048
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2020.04.048
Pascuzzo, K., Cyr, C., & Moss, E. (2013). Longitudinal association between adolescent attachment, adult romantic attachment, and emotion regulation strategies.
Attachment and Human Development, 15, 83-103. doi: 10.1080/14616734.2013.745713
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14616734.2013.745713
Pietrantonio, F., De Gennaro, L., Di Paolo, M.C., & Solano, L. (2003). The Impact of Event Scale: Validation of an Italian version. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 55, 389-393. doi: 10.1016/S0022-3999(02)00638-4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3999(02)00638-4
Preti, E., Di Mattei, V., Perego, G., Ferrari, F., Mazzetti, M., Taranto, P., Di Pierro, R., Madeddu, F., & Calati, R. (2020a). The psychological impact of epidemic and pandemic outbreaks on healthcare workers: Rapid review of the evidence. Current Psychiatry Reports, 22, 43. doi: 10.1007/s11920-020-01166-z
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-020-01166-z
Preti, E., Di Pierro, R., Fanti, E., Madeddu, F., & Calati, R. (2020b). Personality disorders in time of pandemic. Current Psychiatry Reports, 22, 80. doi: 10.1007/s11920-020-01204-w
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-020-01204-w
Preti, E., Di Pierro, R., Perego, G., Bottini, M., Casini, E., Ierardi, E., ... Di Mattei, V. (2021). Short-term psychological consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic: Results of the first wave of an ecological daily study in the Italian population. Psychiatry Research, 305, 114206. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2021.114206
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2021.114206
Prunas, A., Sarno, I., Preti, E., Madeddu, F., & Perugini, M. (2012). Psychometric properties of the Italian version of the SCL-90-R: A study on a large community sample. European Psychiatry, 27, 591-597. doi: 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2010.12.006.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpsy.2010.12.006
Qiu, J., Shen, B., Zhao, M., Wang, Z., Xie, B., & Xu, Y. (2020). A nationwide survey of psychological distress among Chinese people in the COVID-19 epidemic: implications and policy recommendations. General Psychiatry, 33, e100213. doi: 10.1136/gpsych-2020-100213.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/gpsych-2020-100213
Riva Crugnola, C., Bottini, M., Madeddu, F., Preti, E., & Ierardi, E. (2021). Psychological distress and attachment styles in emerging adult students attending and not attending a university counselling service. Health Psychology Open, 8, 1-9. doi: 10.1177/20551029211016120.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/20551029211016120
Rossi, M, De Salve, F., Agliati, M, & Oasi, O. (2022). Coping strategies and mental health: A web-based survey among the Italian population dealing with COVID-19. Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome, 25, 609. doi: 10.4081/ripppo.2022.609
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4081/ripppo.2022.609
Rossi, R., Socci, V., Talevi, D., Mensi, S., Niolu, C., Pacitti, F., ... Di Lorenzo, G. (2020). COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures impact on mental health among the general population in Italy. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11, 790. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00790
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00790
Sameer, A.S., Khan, M.A., Nissar, S., & Banday, M.Z. (2020). Assessment of mental health and various coping strategies among general population living under imposed COVID-lockdown across world: a cross-sectional study. Ethics, Medicine and Public Health, 15, 100571. doi: 10.1016/j.jemep.2020.100571
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jemep.2020.100571
Sarno, I., Preti, E., Prunas, A., & Madedu, F. (2011). SCL-90-R Symptom Checklist-90-R adattamento italiano. Giunti, Organizzazioni Speciali: Firenze.
Segal, S., Sharabany, R., Maaravi, Y., (2021). Policymakers as safe havens: The relationship between adult attachment style, COVID-19 fear, and regulation compliance. Personality and Individual Differences, 177, 110832. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2021.110832
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2021.110832
Shaver, P.R., Schachner, D.A., & Mikulincer, M. (2005). Attachment style, excessive reassurance seeking, relationship processes, and depression. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 31, 343-359. doi: 10.1177/0146167204271709.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167204271709
Tagini, S., Brugnera, A., Ferrucci, R., Mazzocco, K., Pievani, L., Priori, A., ... Poletti, B. (2021). Attachment, personality and locus of control: psychological determinants of risk perception and preventive behaviors for COVID-19. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 634012. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.634012
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.634012
Tang, W., Hu, T., Hu, B., Jin, C., Wang, G., Xie, C., Chen, S., & Xu, J. (2020). Prevalence and correlates of PTSD and depressive symptoms one month after the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic in a sample of home-quarantined Chinese university students. Journal of Affective Disorders, 274, 1-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.05.009.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.05.009
Tambelli, R., Cimino, S., Marzilli, E., Ballarotto, G., & Cerniglia, L. (2021). Late adolescents’ attachment to parents and peers and psychological distress resulting from COVID-19. A study on the mediation role of alexithymia. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18, 10649. doi: 10.3390/ijerph182010649
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182010649
Vowels, L.M., & Carnelley, K.B. (2021). Attachment styles, negotiation of goal conflict, and perceived partner support during COVID-19. Personality and Individual Differences, 171, 110505. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2020.110505
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2020.110505
Vowels, L.M., Carnelley, K.B., & Stanton, S.C. (2022). Attachment anxiety predicts worse mental health outcomes during COVID-19: Evidence from two studies. Personality and Individual Differences, 185, 111256. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2021.111256
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2021.111256
Wang, C., Pan, R., Wan, X., Tan, Y., Xu, L., Ho, C.S., & Ho, R.C. (2020). Immediate psychological responses and associated factors during the initial stage of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic among the general population in China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17, 1729. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17051729
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17051729
Weiss, D.S., & Marmar, C.R. (1997). The Impact of Event Scale-Revised. In J. P. Wilson, & T. M. Keane (Eds.), Assessing psychological trauma and PTSD: A practitioner’s handbook (pp. 399-411). Guilford Press: New York.
World Health Organization (2020). Mental health and psychosocial considerations during the COVID-19 outbreak, March 18, 2020. Available from: https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/mental-health-considerations.pdf (accessed January 20 2022).
How to Cite
Ierardi, E., Bottini, M., Preti, E., Di Pierro, R., Madeddu, F., & Riva Crugnola, C. (2023). Attachment styles, mental health, and trauma during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic in an Italian adult population. Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome, 26(3). https://doi.org/10.4081/ripppo.2023.689
Copyright (c) 2024 the Author(s)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
PAGEPress has chosen to apply the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) to all manuscripts to be published.
Similar Articles
- Valeria Condino, Annalisa Tanzilli, Anna Maria Speranza, Vittorio Lingiardi, Therapeutic interventions in intimate partner violence: an overview , Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome: Vol. 19 No. 2 (2016)
- Kanika Mehrotra, Poornima Bhola, Geetha Desai, Contextualizing motherhood in persons with borderline personality vulnerabilities: cultural adaptation of the Parent Development Interview-Revised in an Indian context , Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome: Vol. 26 No. 1 (2023)
- Mario Fulcheri, Danilo Carrozzino, The clinical consequence of positive mental health in psychotherapy , Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome: Vol. 20 No. 2 (2017)
- Rosalba Di Biase, Chris Evans, Daniela Rebecchi, Flavia Baccari, Anna Saltini, Elena Bravi, Gaspare Palmieri, Fabrizio Starace, Exploration of psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Core Young Person’s Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation (YP-CORE) , Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome: Vol. 24 No. 2 (2021): SPECIAL ISSUE "Working on dreams, from psychotherapy to neuroscience"
- Chiara Manfredi, Gabriele Caselli, Federica Pescini, Martina Rossi, Daniela Rebecchi, Giovanni Maria Ruggiero, Sandra Sassaroli, Parental criticism, self-criticism and their relation to depressive mood: an exploratory study among a non-clinical population , Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome: Vol. 19 No. 1 (2016): Special issue on Qualitative and Quantitative Research in Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy: part 2
- Sarah Abraham, Elisabeth Edginton, David Cottrell, Sandy Tubeuf, Measuring health-related quality of life measures in children: lessons from a pilot study , Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome: Vol. 25 No. 1 (2022)
- Gianluca Cruciani, Marianna Liotti, Vittorio Lingiardi, Motivations to become psychotherapists: beyond the concept of the wounded healer , Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome: Vol. 27 No. 2 (2024)
- Marianna Liotti, Alice Fiorini Bincoletto, Fabiola Bizzi, Marta Tironi, Simone Charpentier Mora, Donatella Cavanna, Guido Giovanardi, Elliot Jurist, Anna Maria Speranza, Vittorio Lingiardi, Annalisa Tanzilli, The catcher in the mind: validation of the brief-mentalized affectivity scale for adolescents in the Italian population , Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome: Vol. 26 No. 3 (2023)
- Gaia Albano, Rubinia Celeste Bonfanti, Salvatore Gullo, Laura Salerno, Gianluca Lo Coco, The psychological impact of COVID-19 on people suffering from dysfunctional eating behaviours: a linguistic analysis of the contents shared in an online community during the lockdown , Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome: Vol. 24 No. 3 (2021)
- Antonino La Tona, Sofia Tagini, Agostino Brugnera, Barbara Poletti, Edoardo Nicolò Aiello, Gianluca Lo Coco, Lidia Del Piccolo, Angelo Compare, Italian validation of the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation-10 (CORE-10): a short measure for routine outcome monitoring in clinical practice , Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome: Vol. 26 No. 1 (2023)
<< < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 > >>
You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.
