The moderation of attachment in the association between depressive symptoms and self-harm among a clinical sample.
J Ment Health
; 30(1): 58-65, 2021 Feb.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-31240968
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Self-harm is a severe health problem worldwide and in particular in clinical settings. The association of depression and self-harm has been extensively studied alongside various variables that have been examined as moderating this association. However, no previous study has examined the moderating role of attachment in this association.AIM:
We explored the role of attachment orientation in moderating the association between depressive symptoms and self-harm among a sample of patients in a community mental health clinic.METHOD:
This study was a de-identified archival study of patients' medical charts, and used a convenience sample of 199 patients, which completed self-report measures following the initial intake appointment as part of clinic procedures.RESULTS:
Findings showed that both attachment anxiety and avoidance moderated the association between depressive symptoms and self-harm, such that depressive symptoms were positively associated with self-harm only when attachment anxiety scores were high, and attachment avoidance scores were high or average.CONCLUSIONS:
Attachment anxiety and avoidance should be assessed in the initial intake of patients as it has a contribution to understanding self-harm vulnerability among new patients. Future studies should explore this moderation longitudinally so causality could be inferred.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Comportamento Autodestrutivo
/
Depressão
Tipo de estudo:
Diagnostic_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
J Ment Health
Assunto da revista:
PSICOLOGIA
/
PSIQUIATRIA
Ano de publicação:
2021
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Israel