The current research explores how adult attachment patterns present after an acquired brain injury (ABI) and possible associations with psychological distress, social isolation and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). It was hypothesised that attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance would explain additional variance in HRQOL and that this possible association would be mediated through psychological distress and social isolation. For this quantitative research a non-experimental, cross sectional cohort design was implemented. Forty individuals with ABI completed the Experiences in Close Relationships—Relationship Structures questionnaire, the Quality of Life in Brain Injury questionnaire, the EuroQol-5 Dimension Scale, the Hospital Depression and Anxiety Scale and the Friendship Scale. The results suggest that levels of attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance after an ABI are similar to those reported in healthy samples. Moreover, higher rates of attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance were associated with lower HRQOL, as well as increased levels of anxiety and social isolation. No association was found with depression. However, depression was shown to be the largest significant predictor of HRQOL after ABI (β = -.41, p < .005). Social isolation was also shown to predict HRQOL after ABI (β = .32, p < .05). Mediation analysis suggests that both attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance have an indirect relationship with HRQOL through social isolation, or through social isolation and psychological distress. It is concluded that adult attachment is an important theory to consider after ABI, due to its possible indirect relationship with HRQOL. These findings suggest that professionals should consider individuals' attachment patterns for treatment purposes and try to foster secure attachment patterns during rehabilitation.

Background. Recent research into attachment theory has suggested it provides a useful framework for understanding the psychological therapeutic process. Clinical application of attachment theory has been a recent development in adult mental health research. Previous studies have focused on patient attachment styles and a systematic review of the literature highlights the limited research that explores both patient and clinician attachment patterns. The reported study aims to explore both patient and therapist attachment and the dyadic interaction on the therapeutic process, and, in particular, how attachment influences the early engagement and development of the therapeutic alliance. Methods. Patient participants and clinician participants completed a self-report measure of attachment prior to commencing a psychological intervention. Early engagement was measured through appointment attendance and independent therapeutic alliance ratings from patients and clinicians were completed after the third appointment. Correlations and regression analysis explored the extent to which patient and clinician attachment predicts early engagement and the therapeutic alliance. Results. Fifty-five patients and 38 clinician’s self-report attachment styles indicate greater security amongst clinicians. Patients presenting to mental health services reported higher levels of anxious and avoidant attachment patterns, which were predictive of greater psychological distress. Patient avoidant attachment was associated with poor engagement and both patient anxiety and avoidance attachment were predictive of therapeutic alliance. No relationship was found between therapist attachment and early engagement or therapeutic alliance, and there were no significant interactions between patient and therapist attachments patterns. Conclusions. Findings from the current study suggest that patient attachment style is predictive of reported psychological distress, early engagement and therapeutic alliance. Applying the principles of attachment theory to clinical practice could therefore provide greater insight into the interpersonal dynamics between patient and therapist and help inform services as to how to improve engagement and alliance with insecure patients. The strengths and weaknesses of the study are discussed, which highlights the need for further research with larger samples to build on the current limited findings.

A collection of short stories exploring patterns that play out in people's lives and relationships.

In this thesis, semi structured interviews and observations have been performed in order to offer and acknowledge pedagogical strategies and in which situations these become visible. Attachment patterns and foremost how educators relate and handle these patterns to reach an affectionate behavior has been the aim for this study. Six educators within the Early Childhood Education were interviewed. The observations were placed at three different preschools, monitoring children between the ages of three and six. The focus however, has been on the preschool teachers. The observation was narrated back to the educators, using the method stimulated recall, encouraging the teachers to reflect around their motives. In this study, we have shown the importance of making the silent knowledge that the educators possess more conscious. Through the observations some patterns where attachment is of importance has been made visible in this thesis and among these are adopting other perspectives.We have also acknowledged the importance of educators being flexible, having a close relation to the children and being available for them.

Syftet med uppsatsen var att undersöka personers erfarenheter och upplevelser av att växa upp med en förälder som har ett missbruk. I vår kvalitativa studie har sex självbiografier analyserats genom en tematisk analysmetod. Resultatet för uppsatsen påvisar att en uppväxt med en förälder med ett substansbruk kan medföra emotionella och praktiska konsekvenser. Vidare visar resultatet att personerna har som barn behövt tillgodose sina behov som till exempel omsorg eller mat. Det som även var gemensamt för barnen var de otrygga förhållandena i hemmet och att de fick agera förälder i hemmet. Det huvudsakliga resultatet presenterar att de anknytningsmönster som framträder hos barn till föräldrar med substansbruk visar på en otrygg anknytningsstil. / The aim of this study was to examine people´s experiences and perceptions of growing up with a parent who has a substance abuse problem. In this qualitative study, six autobiographies were analyzed by a thematic analysis method. The results show that growing up with a parent with substance abuse can have emotional and practical consequences. Further, the results show that as children, the subjects had to provide for thei needs such as care or food. What was also common for the children was the insecure conditions at home and having to act as a parent at home. The main result shows that the attachment patterns that emerge in children of parents with substance use show an insecure attachment style.