Background & Aims: The long-term success of life-style interventions in the treatment of obesity is limited. Although psychological factors have been suggested to modify therapeutic effects, specifically the implications of attachment styles and the patient-therapist relationship have not been examined in detail yet.
Methods: This study included 44 obese patients who participated in a one-year multimodal weight-reduction program. Attachment style was analyzed by the Adult Attachment Prototype Rating (AAPR) inventory and its relation to a one-year weight reduction program was studied. The patient-therapist-relationship was assessed using the Helping Alliance Questionnaire.
Results: Attachment style was secure in 68% of participants and insecure (preoccupied and dismissing) in 32%. Interestingly a significantly higher weight-reduction was found in securely (SAI) compared to insecurely attached individuals (UAI; p < 0.05). This estimation correlated positively also to the quality of helping alliance (p = 0.004).
Conclusions: The frequency of insecure attachment in obese individuals was comparable to that of the normal population. Our data suggest a greater weight-reduction for SAI than for UAI, and the patient-therapist relationship was rated more positively. The conclusion can be drawn that a patient's attachment style plays a role in an interdisciplinary treatment program for obesity and has an influence on the effort to lose weight.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3296567 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1751-0759-6-3 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Two Babies, Two Bonds: Challenges in Attachment Relationships in Twins.
Cureus
December 2024
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Local Health Unit of Santo António, Porto, PRT.
The attachment relationship constitutes the first emotionally significant affective bond, usually between the infant and the mother, serving as a model for subsequent relationships. It is considered a vital component of social and emotional development in the early years and an important early indicator of infant mental health. In twins, the attachment process may exhibit unique characteristics, influenced by the dual parenting dynamic and the individual needs of each baby.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLack of mental integration and emotion dysregulation as a possible long-term effect of dysfunctional parenting: An EEG study of functional connectivity before and after the exposure to attachment-related stimuli.
J Affect Disord
January 2025
Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy. Electronic address:
Dysfunctional parenting (DP) is a factor of vulnerability and a predictive risk factor for psychopathology. Although previous research has shown specific functional and structural brain alterations, the neural basis of DP remains understudied. We therefore investigated EEG functional connectivity changes within the Salience Network before and after the exposure to attachment-related stimuli in individuals with high and low perceived DP.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDisruptive mood dysregulation disorder, parental stress, and attachment styles.
Front Child Adolesc Psychiatry
July 2024
Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD) is a relatively new diagnostic entity concerning children with chronic irritability and severe anger outbursts. Currently, there is limited knowledge about the parental factors associated with the disorder. The aim of this study was to compare stress levels and attachment styles in parents of children with DMDD with those of parents of children with other diagnoses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdult Attachment Style, Emotion Regulation and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder-A Preliminary Cross-Sectional Mediational Investigation of an Attachment-Based Model.
Clin Psychol Psychother
January 2025
Mental Health Services, Capital Region of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark.
There is evidence that emotion regulation plays a role in the aetiology and maintenance of OCD, but knowledge about what impacts emotion dysregulation is limited. Attachment style is related to both emotion regulation and OCD symptoms, but the link between them has not been thoroughly studied. Examining emotion dysregulation within the context of OCD through an attachment theory framework may lead to a better understanding of the aetiology and maintenance of OCD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!