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

Abstract

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.

Give yourself a break: Self-compassion mediates insecure attachment and divorce maladjustment among Iranian women

“…As discussed in the literature review, attachment avoidance could arguably lead to self-compassion if they also associate with positive views of the self (Wei et al, 2011). However, our finding that attachment avoidance negatively predicted self-compassion is more in line with similar investigations (Murray et al, 2021; Raque-Bogdan et al, 2016; Wei et al, 2011). Self-compassion and a positive view of one’s value or worth as a relationship partner (working model of self) are not identical constructs, but one could logically presume that such constructs would positively correlate.…”

“…Nevertheless, those with a higher level of attachment anxiety appeared likely to be unkind to themselves (self-critical instead of self-kindness), exaggerate their negative experiences and feel uniquely victimized (isolation instead of common humanity), and feel overwhelmed by their painful thoughts and feelings (over-identification instead of mindfulness). That insecure attachments associate with less self-compassion has been noted by others (Murray et al, 2021;Neff & McGehee, 2010;Pepping et al, 2015;Raque-Bogdan et al, 2016;Wei et al, 2011). Similarly, others have found that selfcompassion tends to benefit divorce adjustment (Neff, 2003;Sbarra et al, 2012).…”

“…Some research has indicated that self-compassion mediates the connection between attachment styles and some outcomes. For example, scholars have shown that self-compassion mediated adult attachment styles and depression (Murray et al, 2021), psychological and physical health (Raque-Bogdan et al, 2016), and subjective well-being (Wei et al, 2011). Other researchers have shown that self-compassion mediated bullying and shame in adulthood (Beduna & Perrone-McGovern, 2019), and the relationship between work stress and mental health (Ghorbani et al, 2018).…”

Pride or empathy? Exploring effective CSR communication strategies on social media

“…Third, we proposed the moderated serial mediation effects of brand authenticity and brand trust based on literature review and theorizations. In the empirical testing in Study 2, as we only collected cross-sectional data, we acknowledge that the temporal sequence of two mediators cannot be adequately tested in a cross-sectional design (Murray et al , 2021). Future research could collect panel data and further validate the temporal sequence of brand authenticity and brand trust as sequential mediators.…”

I Don’t Want to Hear It : Cognitive Control Strategies in Response to Task-Irrelevant Sound

“…Magee et al (2012) note that, if anything, clinical populations with high motivation to suppress intrusive thoughts, such as in obsessive-compulsive disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder, are slightly better at suppressing thoughts than non-clinical populations. There are, however, studies suggesting that thought suppression may exacerbate the effects of adverse life events, possibly resulting in increased risk of psychopathology (Murray et al, 2021), and there is evidence to suggest that thought suppression is related to symptom profiles and severity in eating disorders (Smith et al, 2019), and that it may mediate the relationship between emotional reactivity and non-suicidal self-injury (Najmi et al, 2007). In light of these and similar findings, Najmi and Wegner (2009) have suggested that thought suppression as a coping mechanism may serve to complicate and exacerbate certain types of psychopathology, and may induce long-term cognitive load.…”