Depressive affect among health care seekers: How it is related to attachment style, emotional disclosure, and health complaints

Abstract

The present cross-sectional questionnaire survey investigated depressive affect among persons visiting their general practitioner (GP). It examined the impact of a number of factors likely to be associated with depressive affect, including demographic variables, severity of medical condition, and personal factors such as ease in disclosing personal information, and attachment style. Results showed that among the sample of patients (N = 198) visiting their GP, depressive affect was generally quite high. In particular, those reporting more depressive affect were the elderly, those with more severe health problems, more psychological problems, and a lower level of emotional disclosure frequency. As expected, attachment style was also related to lack of well-being among patients: those with a less avoidant but more anxious attachment style reported higher levels of depressive affect. In total, 38% of the variance of depressive affect was predicted by this model. Security of attachment was also related to reasons why patients consulted their GP, with avoidant attachment related to physical problems and anxious attachment to mental problems. Theoretical relevance of the findings and implications for medical help-seeking are discussed.

Keywords:

• Attachment style
• depressive affect
• emotional disclosure
• health care

Notes

1. We investigated affect rather than emotions because affect refers to a diffuse or global affective state that lacks an object (i.e., a person, thing, or event) and affect is thus not specific to the situation itself but may be related to various determinants, while emotions are related to a specific antecedent event (e.g., Frijda, 1993).

2. Since the study was presented as an independent assessment of patients and accompanying persons, with freedom for each (not) to participate, questionnaires were not paired.