Attachment anxiety predicts worse mental health outcomes during COVID-19: evidence from two studies
Attachment anxiety predicts worse mental health outcomes during COVID-19: evidence from two studies
COVID-19 has resulted in a mental health crisis across the globe. Understanding factors that may have increased individuals’ risk of poor mental health outcomes is imperative. Individual differences in attachment styles have been shown to predict poorer mental health outcomes and insecure individuals struggle to cope with stressful situations. Therefore, we extended past research by examining whether higher attachment insecurity (anxiety and avoidance) predicted worse mental health over time during the COVID-19 pandemic. Study 1 examined mood and mood fluctuations daily over a week in the beginning of lockdown and depression and anxiety weekly over a five-week period (n = 200). Study 2 examined depression and anxiety before and during the pandemic (n = 100 couples). As predicted, individuals higher (vs. lower) in attachment anxiety, but not avoidance, reported greater depression and anxiety during the pandemic in both studies. Individuals lower in attachment anxiety experienced an improvement in mental health over time in Study 1 suggesting that more secure individuals may recover more quickly from the initial change in circumstances. Attachment styles did not significantly predict mood or mood fluctuations. Attachment anxiety is likely to be a risk factor for poor mental health outcomes during COVID-19.
Anxiety, Attachment, COVID-19, Depression, Mental health outcomes
Vowels, Laura, Marika
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Carnelley, Katherine
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Stanton, Sarah
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February 2022
Vowels, Laura, Marika
c30dc6eb-4a98-4534-b784-499c2d291c5f
Carnelley, Katherine
02a55020-a0bc-480e-a0ff-c8fe56ee9c36
Stanton, Sarah
0f493ef3-6dc7-411f-850a-31d668dc90e1
Vowels, Laura, Marika, Carnelley, Katherine and Stanton, Sarah
(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).
Abstract
COVID-19 has resulted in a mental health crisis across the globe. Understanding factors that may have increased individuals’ risk of poor mental health outcomes is imperative. Individual differences in attachment styles have been shown to predict poorer mental health outcomes and insecure individuals struggle to cope with stressful situations. Therefore, we extended past research by examining whether higher attachment insecurity (anxiety and avoidance) predicted worse mental health over time during the COVID-19 pandemic. Study 1 examined mood and mood fluctuations daily over a week in the beginning of lockdown and depression and anxiety weekly over a five-week period (n = 200). Study 2 examined depression and anxiety before and during the pandemic (n = 100 couples). As predicted, individuals higher (vs. lower) in attachment anxiety, but not avoidance, reported greater depression and anxiety during the pandemic in both studies. Individuals lower in attachment anxiety experienced an improvement in mental health over time in Study 1 suggesting that more secure individuals may recover more quickly from the initial change in circumstances. Attachment styles did not significantly predict mood or mood fluctuations. Attachment anxiety is likely to be a risk factor for poor mental health outcomes during COVID-19.
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More information
Accepted/In Press date: 7 September 2021
e-pub ahead of print date: 10 September 2021
Published date: February 2022
Additional Information:
Funding Information:
Study 1 was supported by the Jubilee Scholarship, University of Southampton , awarded to Laura M. Vowels. Study 2 was supported by a New Investigator Grant awarded to Sarah C. E. Stanton from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) of the United Kingdom.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Authors
Keywords:
Anxiety, Attachment, COVID-19, Depression, Mental health outcomes
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 451669
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/451669
ISSN: 0191-8869
PURE UUID: a2e38a95-eeb3-43a6-be9e-f059afad2972
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Date deposited: 19 Oct 2021 16:31
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 06:50
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Author:
Laura, Marika Vowels
Author:
Sarah Stanton
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