Associations of Childhood Maltreatment and Attachment Styles with Romantic Breakup Grief Severity: The Role of Emotional Suppression

Abstract

Childhood maltreatment (CM) and insecure attachment styles may partly explain grief severity following romantic breakup. Empirical studies examining the factors that could possibly explain this association, however, remain sparse. The present study tested whether the relations among CM, attachment styles, and romantic breakup grief severity could be explained by emotional suppression in Iranian college students. In a cross-sectional study, 239 Iranian college students (ages 18–45; M = 24.11, SD = 15.29; 50.6% women) with a recent romantic breakup experience were recruited from University of Tabriz. Participants completed a diagnostic interview and self-report battery, including the Persian version of the Child Abuse Self-Reported Scale, Revised Adult Attachment Scale, Romantic Breakup Grief Inventory, and Weinberger Adjustment Inventory. Structural equation modeling was used to empirically explore the relations among variables. Results indicated that those who reported higher levels of CM also reported higher levels of romantic breakup grief. Attachment closeness showed a significant negative and direct effect on romantic breakup grief severity. However, attachment anxiety was positively associated with greater levels of romantic breakup grief. Bootstrapping results showed that CM might affect romantic breakup grief severity via emotional suppression. Furthermore, attachment closeness and attachment anxiety exerted indirect effects on romantic breakup grief severity through emotional suppression. Clinical and empirical implications are discussed.

Is social support beneficial after a breakup? A moderation model of social support, depression, emotional volatility and gender for college students during COVID-19

“…The protective role of social support was found to be significant for anxiously attached individuals, but not avoidant individuals (Dark-Freudeman et al, 2020). Participants who have high anxiety attachment also experienced higher level of emotional distress after the breakup (Heshmati et al, 2022). Therefore, it is worthwhile for future research to examine the potential moderation effect of attachment styles.…”

Serotonin Transporter Gene Polymorphisms and Maternal Overprotection Regulate Adult Social Expectations on Close Relationships

“…Not only, recalled maternal overprotection in childhood predicted the anxiety and avoidance felt towards the partner in adulthood [ 61 ]. A recent work describes that a more severe grief consequent to the romantic breakup was linked to child maltreatment [ 62 ]. The evidence of a linear relationship between the PBI maternal overprotection and the ECR-R subscales meets the starting assumption on the prototype hypothesis, which postulates that the early relationship with the parents represent a shared basis for subsequent social experiences [ 63 ], underpinning romantic functioning and believes [ 64 ].…”

Romantic relationship dissolutions are significantly associated with posttraumatic stress symptoms as compared to a DSM-5 Criterion A event: a case-case–control comparison

“…Attachment theory centres on concepts of secure and insecure (avoidant and anxious-ambivalent) attachment styles and internal working models (IWMs) (Bowlby, 1973 ; Hazan & Shaver, 1987 ; Ainsworth et al, 1978 ; Bartholomew, 1997 ; Fraley and Shaver ( 2000 ). According to attachment theory, attachment styles and IWMs influence emotion regulation in dealing with stressful events (Shaver & Mikulincer, 2007 ), distress levels following an RRD (Heshmati et al, 2022 ), and the development of PTSD following a traumatic event (O’Connor & Elklit, 2008 ; Woodhouse et al, 2015 ). For example, avoidantly attached individuals may de-activate their attachment-related thoughts and emotions along with negative reactions such as greater self-blame and use of drugs and alcohol to cope following an RRD (Marshall et al, 2013 ).…”