Associations Between Attachment Representations and Health Behaviors in Late Adolescence

Abstract

In this study, we tested the associations among attachment ratings and health behaviors by relationship status. For individuals in relationships, attachment security was associated positively with health promotion and quality sleep and negatively with risk behaviors; fearfulness was associated positively with risk behaviors. With the exception of sleep behaviors, associations with security and fearfulness were reversed for single participants. Associations between dismissingness and quality of sleep support the proposal that individuals who deny or dismiss their attachment needs may experience physical symptoms of distress that affect their health. Future work exploring the benefits of security when coping with illness or lifestyle change is discussed.

Attachment Anxiety, Relationship Context, and Sleep in Women With Recurrent Major Depression

“…In contrast to the two previous studies (18,19) on attachment style and subjective sleep quality in nonclinical samples, we found no association between attachment style, marital status, or bed-partner status and subjective sleep. Our failure to replicate the previous results is likely because of the greater prevalence and severity of sleep disturbance and sleep complaints in a clinically depressed population, as compared with a general population of married adults or college students.…”

“…The two previous studies on attachment style and sleep quality, although likely underpowered, did not find a moderating effect of gender (18,19). Nevertheless, an existing body of evidence suggests that, as compared with males, females display greater levels of relational interdependence as well as greater emotional sensitivity (46) and physiological reactivity (1) to marital problems or negative marital interactions.…”

“…Scharfe and Eldredge (19) found that, among college students in committed relationships, higher scores on fearful-avoidant and preoccupied attachment styles were associated with poorer subjective sleep quality. In contrast, a dismissing-avoidant style was associated with poorer sleep quality among the students who were not in a committed relationship.…”

“…Two studies have investigated the relationship between adult attachment and subjective sleep parameters in humans (18,19). Scharfe and Eldredge (19) found that, among college students in committed relationships, higher scores on fearful-avoidant and preoccupied attachment styles were associated with poorer subjective sleep quality.…”

Advancing a Biopsychosocial and Contextual Model of Sleep in Adolescence: A Review and Introduction to the Special Issue

“…For instance, in a sample of Finnish 15-year-olds, youth perceptions of having a good home atmosphere was strongly correlated with self-reported sleep quality (Tynjala et al 1999). In studies conducted with college students, a cross-sectional link has been found between insecure attachment and poorer sleep functioning (McNamara et al 2001;Scharfe and Eldredge 2001). Safety is a critical aspect of attachment bonds and the family environment more broadly also creates the ''the state of 'safety' necessary for sleep (and the cessation of vigilance)'' (Dahl and El-Sheikh 2007, p. 2).…”