Attachment styles in patients with avoidant personality disorder compared with social phobia

Psychology and Psychotherapy
Ingeborg EikenaesTheresa Wilberg

Abstract

Avoidant personality disorder (AvPD) and social phobia (SP) are common, closely related conditions. Little is known about the underlying processes related to the social discomfort of subjects with AvPD and SP. Both disorders are associated with interpersonal problems. An attachment perspective may shed light on similarities and differences in close relationships between the disorders. The aim of the study was to compare self-reported attachment styles in patients with AvPD and SP. We expected that patients with AvPD would have more attachment anxiety and avoidance and more often a Fearful attachment style, compared with SP. This is a cross-sectional multisite study of 90 adult patients with AvPD and SP. Patients with AvPD with and without SP (AvPD group) were compared with patients with SP without AvPD (SP group). Patients were assessed using structured diagnostic interviews and self-reporting questionnaires, including Experiences in Close Relationships (ECR). The ECR dimensions, Anxiety and Avoidance, and the new described five factors of the ECR were used. The AvPD group had higher levels of attachment anxiety than the SP group, especially for the sub-factors Anxiety for abandonment and Separation frustration. The diagnostic ...Continue Reading

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Citations

Jun 26, 2020·Journal of Clinical Psychology·Kristine D SørensenMarit Råbu
Apr 11, 2019·Frontiers in Psychology·Sigmund W Karterud, Mickey T Kongerslev
Aug 15, 2020·Frontiers in Psychiatry·Elfrida H KvarsteinTheresa Wilberg
Mar 20, 2020·BMC Psychology·Andrea PozzaDavide Dèttore
Nov 5, 2020·Nordic Journal of Psychiatry·Sebastian SimonsenTheresa Wilberg
May 19, 2021·Journal of Clinical Psychology·Bo Bach, Ingeborg Ulltveit-Moe Eikenaes
Sep 29, 2021·The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease·James Reich, Alan Schatzberg

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