Adult attachment and social anxiety: The mediating role of emotion regulation strategies

Read, Darryl L.; Clark, Gavin I.; Rock, Adam J.; Coventry, William L.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0207514

Cited by 65 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 85 publications

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“…Furthermore, the individual pathways between attachment avoidance and each of the mediators and DV (i.e., thought suppression, self-compassion and depression) were each non-significant. A similar pattern of findings has been reported in previous studies [ 78 , 80 ], wherein the previously significant relationships between attachment avoidance and other study variables were rendered non-significant once attachment anxiety was included as a covariate. One possible interpretation of this finding is that the observed significant effects in the original model were driven by the variance which is common to both attachment dimensions.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

“…Given that previous research (e.g., [ 76 , 78 ]) has found a significant association between attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety, it may be such that significant associations observed between either attachment dimension and other study variables are an artefact of the association between the attachment dimensions. To rule out this possibility, the mediation model displayed in Fig 1 (Model A) was run twice, with attachment anxiety entered as a covariate in the second iteration of the analysis.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 97%

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Attachment style, thought suppression, self-compassion and depression: Testing a serial mediation model

et al. 2021

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Attachment anxiety has been consistently linked with increased vulnerability to depression, and hyperactivating emotion regulation strategies (e.g., rumination) have been shown to mediate this relationship. Investigations of mediators of the attachment avoidance to depression relationship have yielded inconsistent findings, and the nature of this relationship remains to be clarified. There is evidence to suggest that the constructs of thought suppression and self-compassion are associated with attachment avoidance and also with depressive symptomology. In order to further clarify the nature of this relationship, the present study tested a serial mediation model, whereby it was hypothesised that thought suppression and self-compassion were serial mediators of the relationship between attachment avoidance and depression. One hundred and forty-eight participants completed an online composite questionnaire consisting of the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised Questionnaire, the White Bear Suppression Inventory, the Self-Compassion Scale, and the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21. Initial results supported the hypothesised serial mediation model (Model A); that is, higher attachment avoidance predicted higher thought suppression, higher thought suppression predicted lower levels of self-compassion and lower levels of self-compassion predicted higher depression. However, this model was no longer significant following the inclusion of attachment anxiety as a covariate within the post-hoc analysis. A second, post-hoc serial mediation model was tested (Model B), with the only difference being that attachment anxiety replaced attachment avoidance as the independent variable. This model was significant, with and without the inclusion of attachment avoidance as a covariate. The study provides evidence for the central role of thought suppression and self-compassion as mechanisms underlying the relationship between insecure attachment and depression, and indicates that these factors operate in opposing directions. The findings are discussed in terms of explicating some of the processes through which insecure attachment confers vulnerability to depression. The implications of the observed degree of shared variance between the two attachment dimensions suggests these constructs may be more appropriately considered overlapping, rather than orthogonal.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Attachment style, thought suppression, self-compassion and depression: Testing a serial mediation model

et al. 2021

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“…The analysis strategy does not allow for any definitive conclusions regarding causal relationships, nor does it offer any evaluation of the relative strength of indirect effects attributed to each mediation variable. Consistent with interpretations of differential pattern of significance in the direct and indirect pathways reported in relation to analysis strategies (e.g., Read, Clark, Rock, & Coventry, 2018), it would seem reasonable to suggest that the present study's results may imply that prospective IU and inhibitory IU may operate on worry through distinct pathways; that is, through positive beliefs about worry and negative problem orientation, respectively.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

The relationship between worry and intolerance of uncertainty subtypes

Groves

Clark

2020

Australian Psychologist

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Objective According to the intolerance of uncertainty model (IUM) of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), four components contribute to the development and maintenance of worry in GAD. They are intolerance of uncertainty (IU), positive beliefs about worry, negative problem orientation, and cognitive avoidance. Recent studies report that the relationship between IU and worry is mediated by positive beliefs about worry and negative problem orientation. The present study examined whether these mediation relationships emerge when the two subtypes of IU, prospective and inhibitory IU, are considered separately. Method A convenience sample of 160 members of the Australian public completed an online questionnaire assessing each IUM component, worry, and depression. Results Positive beliefs about worry and negative problem orientation mediated the relationship between IU and worry. Only positive beliefs about worry mediated the relationship between prospective IU and worry, while only negative problem orientation mediated the relationship between inhibitory IU and worry. Conclusions The results may imply that the two IU subtypes influence worry via differing pathways. The findings have implications for treatments targeting components of the IUM in individuals with GAD and other anxiety disorders.

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“…In fact, numerous studies have found that attachment anxiety and emotional dysregulation are positively correlated, and these two variables also appear to contribute to maladaptive behavior and affective problems, such as problematic internet use (Estevez et al, 2018), eating disorders (Norrish et al, 2019), anxiety (Esbjorn et al, 2012; Nielsen et al, 2017), and depression (Marques et al, 2018; Owens et al, 2018; Read et al, 2018). Difficulties in emotion regulation are in particular considered risk factors for both substance (e.g., alcohol and drug abuse) and behavioral addiction (e.g., gambling disorder, video game addiction, and smartphone addiction).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adult Attachment Style, Emotion Regulation, and Social Networking Sites Addiction

Liu

2019

Front. Psychol.

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While there is substantial evidence that emotion regulation plays a role in the maintenance of substance and behavior addiction, its role in addiction to social networking sites (SNS) remains unclear. Drawing on attachment theory, we explore whether emotion regulation mediates the relationship between insecure attachment and SNS addiction among 463 college students. The participants completed the short version of the Experience in Close Relationships Scale, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, and Chinese Social Media Addiction Scale. The results indicated that attachment anxiety positively predicted SNS addiction and that emotion regulation mediated this link. These findings suggest that individuals’ affective regulation capability should be a target of future interventions and treatments.

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Adult attachment and social anxiety: The mediating role of emotion regulation strategies

Cited by 65 publications

References 85 publications

Attachment style, thought suppression, self-compassion and depression: Testing a serial mediation model

Attachment style, thought suppression, self-compassion and depression: Testing a serial mediation model

The relationship between worry and intolerance of uncertainty subtypes

Adult Attachment Style, Emotion Regulation, and Social Networking Sites Addiction

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