Forskning har visat att det finns ett samband mellan anknytningsmönster och konfliktbeteenden där personer med otrygg anknytning oftare använder sig av destruktiva konfliktbeteenden (Dijkstra, Barelds, Ronner, & Nauta, 2017; Feeney & Karantzas, 2017; Fowler & Dillow, 2011). Studiens syfte var dels att undersöka om samma individ använde sig av samma konfliktbeteende i en konflikt med en nuvarande och tidigare partner, samt dels att undersöka sambandet mellan anknytningsmönster och konfliktbeteenden mot både tidigare och nuvarande partner. Deltagarna (N = 48) besvarade ett webbaserat frågeformulär som behandlade generella frågor om deltagaren, konfliktbeteende mot tidigare respektive nuvarande partner, skattning av tidigare respektive nuvarande partners konfliktbeteende samt anknytning till tidigare respektive nuvarande partner. Resultaten visade ett starkt stöd för att kritik som konfliktbeteende användes likvärdigt mot tidigare och nuvarande partner, medan stödet var svagare för konfliktbeteendena förakt, försvar och undandragande. Otrygg undvikande anknytning var en prediktor för undandragande konfliktbeteende mot nuvarande partner, medan även otrygg ambivalent anknytning var en prediktor mot tidigare partner. Mot nuvarande partner var otrygg ambivalent anknytning en prediktor för konfliktbeteendena kritik, förakt och försvar. Mot tidigare partner var även otrygg undvikande anknytning en prediktor för förakt och försvar. Studiens tillämpning och betydelse för framtida forskning diskuteras. / Research has shown that there is a connection between attachment patterns and conflict behaviors, where people with insecure attachment often use destructive conflict behaviors (Dijkstra, Barelds, Ronner, & Nauta, 2017; Feeney & Karantzas, 2017; Fowler & Dillow, 2011). The purpose of the study was to investigate if the same person used the same conflict behaviors if the conflict was with a past or present partner, and to investigate whether there was a connection between attachment patterns and conflict behaviors towards both past and present partners. Participants (N = 48) answered a web-based questionnaire that addressed general questions about participants, conflict behavior towards past and present partners, estimation of past and present partners' conflict behavior, and attachment to past and present partners, respectively. The results showed strong support for criticism being equally used to past and present partners, but weaker support for contempt, defense and stonewalling. Avoidant attachment was a predictor of stonewalling towards both past and present partners, with ambivalent attachment as an additional predictor for past partners. Towards present partners, ambivalent attachment was a predictor of criticism, contempt and defense; towards past partner avoidant attachment was also a predictor of contempt and defense. The study’s application and significance for future research are discussed.

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There is substantial evidence that the strength of the therapeutic alliance in couples therapy is predictive of successful treatment outcome. However, little research has examined the factors that predict a strong therapeutic alliance in couples therapy. With evidence indicating that attachment styles play an important role in the development of healthy adult relationships, it was hypothesized that the attachment styles of partners in couples therapy would predict the development of a strong therapeutic alliance. Data from 115 heterosexual couples seen at a university-based MFT clinic in the southeastern region of the U.S. were used to test this hypothesis. Using multiple regression, results generally found that attachment styles generally predicted the therapeutic alliance among women, but there was only limited support among men. The results of the study suggest the importance of couples therapists being aware of attachment issues, especially among women, as they relate to the establishment of a strong therapeutic alliance.

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The literature review revealed co-morbidity between adverse childhood experiences, adult psychopathology and alcohol dependence, although causality was questionable due to multiple variables. The current study used 54 clients at the acute end of the spectrum of severe alcohol dependence from a specialist tertiary substance misuse service (clients) and a control group of 54 non-problematic drinkers from an NHS working population (controls) to examine possible differences in security of attachment and maladaptive schemas and investigated how early relational experiences influenced core beliefs regarding self, others and intimate relationships and therapeutic implications for severely alcohol dependent clients’ engagement in specialist services. The study was divided into two sections: (1) quantitative analysis using Feeney, Noller and Hanrahan’s (1994) Attachment Style Questionnaire to measure attachment style and Young’s Schema Questionnaire (Young & Brown, 2001) to measure maladaptive schemas in the domain of disconnection and rejection and (2) qualitative analysis, using Interpretational Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to explore eight severely alcohol dependent clients’ subjective experiences of intimate relationships. Clients scored significantly lower in secure attachment style and significantly higher in both avoidant and ambivalent attachment style than controls and suggested overlapping between the two dimensions, known as ‘fearful avoidant’ attachment. Clients scored significantly higher than controls in all five sub-categories of maladaptive schemas in the domain of disconnection and rejection, namely mistrust/abuse, emotional deprivation, abandonment, social isolation/alienation and defectiveness/shame. IPA revealed common themes of negative parent-child interaction: physical and psychological abuse, neglect and explicit maternal rejection and emotional deprivation and hostile and abusive parent-parent interaction. These aetiological factors influenced fearful avoidant attachment and maladaptive core beliefs. Negation of children’s needs implicated an immaturely developed diffuseness of identity and defective self that inhibited formation of intimate adult relationships. A bio-psychosocial explanation suggested alcohol ameliorated hyper-vigilant anxiety and depression from adverse childhood experiences within a threatening family environment that implicated insecure attachment, maladaptive core beliefs and negative self-identity, inhibiting emotional intimacy. It advocated screening procedures and an integrated CBT and schema-based therapeutic approach for those at the more severe end of the spectrum of alcohol dependence deemed at risk of not engaging or disengaging prematurely from services.

Thesis (M. A. (Psychology)) --University of Limpopo, 2017. / This study endeavours to identify and describe the stress experiences of South African Police Personnel (SAPS) in a specific municipal area. The components of stress and related coping mechanisms are of particular interest in policing as much research indicates that officers suffer from stress related illnesses. The research was thus undertaken to determine what type of stressors affect police officers in the Greater Tzaneen Municipal Area, Limpopo Province, and what type of coping strategies they use. A quantitative approach utilising a cross sectional survey design was used for the investigation. Stratified random sampling was used to draw the sample of SAPS officers from the different police stations in Greater Tzaneen Municipal Area. Data was collected by means of questionnaires namely the Police Stress Inventory (PSI) and the Coping Inventory (COPE). Ethical considerations, as required by the University of Limpopo, were followed. Results included the fact that of the top ten stressors five were organisational stressors. This finding suggests that the South African Police Services in this area must provide interventions that reduce the effects of work related stressors. They should also recruit more female officers as the gender disparity is a notable one. Results suggest that no matter what age, religion, language, gender, marital status and rank, all respondents are alike in terms of the use of Avoidant Coping strategies. These are used to some degree however; the majority of respondents use Problem Focused Coping strategies together with Emotionally Focused Coping strategies. This suggests that the sample was able to handle negative stressors in a positive manner. It was concluded that a police force that reflects the general demographic of the area is more likely to provide a community driven workforce

<p>Major Depression is a common and complex disorder that is often difficult to treat. Mentalization, facilitated by secure attachment, has been found to serve as a protective function against Borderline Personality Disorder. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether mentalization has the same protective function against depression and to analyze the connection between mentalization and self-rated attachment. Furthermore, the relation between Anxious/Avoidant attachment patterns and the anaclitic/introjective sub-types of depression were examined. Twenty participants with Major Depressive Disorder were interviewed with the <em>Depression Specific Reflective Function Interview</em> (DSRF) and SCID-I. They also completed the self-report questionnaires Experiences in Close Relationships (ECR), Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ) and Montgomery Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). The results revealed a relation between high mentalization ability as measured by DSRF and low levels of depression and between an anxious attachment pattern and introjective depression. Moreover, low scores on DSRF combined with high levels of anaclitic and introjective symptoms accounted for 65% of observer rated depression severity. The results suggest that depression treatment might benefit from focusing on increasing the mentalizing ability and reducing anxious attachment patterns and from an awareness of the symptoms characterized by both the introjective and anaclitic sub-types of depression.</p>

Major Depression is a common and complex disorder that is often difficult to treat. Mentalization, facilitated by secure attachment, has been found to serve as a protective function against Borderline Personality Disorder. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether mentalization has the same protective function against depression and to analyze the connection between mentalization and self-rated attachment. Furthermore, the relation between Anxious/Avoidant attachment patterns and the anaclitic/introjective sub-types of depression were examined. Twenty participants with Major Depressive Disorder were interviewed with the Depression Specific Reflective Function Interview (DSRF) and SCID-I. They also completed the self-report questionnaires Experiences in Close Relationships (ECR), Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ) and Montgomery Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). The results revealed a relation between high mentalization ability as measured by DSRF and low levels of depression and between an anxious attachment pattern and introjective depression. Moreover, low scores on DSRF combined with high levels of anaclitic and introjective symptoms accounted for 65% of observer rated depression severity. The results suggest that depression treatment might benefit from focusing on increasing the mentalizing ability and reducing anxious attachment patterns and from an awareness of the symptoms characterized by both the introjective and anaclitic sub-types of depression.

Child sexual abuse is an ongoing societal problem, causing severe trauma to vulnerable individuals and evoking all manner of coping strategies in managing the aftermath of their experiences.  Whilst extensive research has directed attention onto sexual abuse and the coping strategies that result from such trauma, very few studies have concentrated on the professional perceptions when supporting sexually abused girls using coping strategies to combat their trauma. Therefore, this research intends to provide an exploration into how professionals perceive the coping strategies used by sexually abused girls in a non-governmental organisation (NGO) residential girl’s home in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Using semistructured interviews via email and individual video recorded zoom meetings from three participants: comprising of a director/counsellor, English teacher, and practitioner. The findings suggested that cultural/societal background, therapies, and interventions have led to or encouraged positive or negative outcomes and coping strategies aside from the sexual abuse trauma.