The psychological impact of bereavement on insecurely attached adults in a primary care setting

Abstract

Aims: this study investigated the psychological effects of bereavement from an attachment perspective within a primary care setting. It hoped to examine associations between bereavement, insecure patterns of attachment and psychological symptoms. Method: bereaved adults (n=36) recruited from 2 general practices participated in the Modified Adult Attachment Interview in order to assess their state of mind with regard to attachment according to a discourse analytic method. Levels of depression and anxiety recorded in participants’ medical records were compared in the year before and after bereavement. The medical records of a group of non-bereaved adults (n=20) were also compared over 2 years. Results: interview transcripts were assigned to the insecure category and the participant group had significantly higher levels of psychological symptoms after bereavement when compared with the control group. It was not possible to establish a link between insecure attachment and raised levels of psychological symptoms after bereavement due to the absence of securely attached individuals from the research sample. Conclusions: this study supports evidence of the adverse effects of bereavement on mental health. It provides insights into the psychological characteristics and needs of a group of bereaved adults in a primary care setting, which could be used to inform the practice of counsellors and other health care professionals.

Keywords:

• Anxiety
• attachment
• bereavement
• depression
• mixed methodology
• primary care

Acknowledgements

This project was completed with the help of funding from the North Central Thames Primary Care Research Network.