Attachment Styles

Women with anxious attachment styles are more likely to experience increases in depressive symptoms if their partners show signs of depression, according to a four-year study of German couples.

Couples who fall asleep while cuddling or touching each other report lower stress and fewer signs of insecure attachment, according to a new study. Surprisingly, people’s individual sleep preferences don’t influence how close they sleep to their partner.

A new study finds that people with avoidant attachment styles toward their parents are more likely to be childfree, offering insight into how early emotional bonds may shape decisions about parenthood.

A new study suggests that growing up in unpredictable environments can shape how people relate to God. The findings show that early instability is linked to insecure attachment to God, which may reduce feelings of divine forgiveness and limit the...

Pets can bring comfort—but for some, the bond may increase emotional distress. New research links anxious pet attachment to poorer mental health.

Flight attendants who prefer late nights and avoid emotional closeness may be more prone to depression. The study highlights how circadian rhythms and attachment styles interact to shape mental health in this high-stress, jetlag-prone profession.

Fearful attachment may fuel love addiction, according to a study exploring how anxiety and defense mechanisms shape unhealthy romantic behaviors.

A new study finds links between parents’ romantic attachment styles and their use of harsh discipline, shaped by how they view their parenting role and their child’s needs.

Your friends might know your love life better than you think. A new study found that friends accurately judge who’s ready for commitment, often linking insecurity with unreadiness.

A recent study found a link between secure attachment and lower PTSD symptoms, while insecure attachment correlated with higher symptoms. These findings emphasize the potential importance of attachment styles in understanding responses to childhood trauma.

Why do some people feel left out more often than others? New research published in The Journal of Psychology identifies personality traits and attachment styles that may drive feelings of ostracism.

Children's difficult temperaments have only a minor effect on forming insecure attachment relationships with parents, refuting the idea that temperament largely determines attachment quality. Secure bonds can still develop despite challenging temperaments.

Adolescents with insecure attachment to their fathers are more likely to develop internalizing and externalizing mental health symptoms, which can lead to increased alcohol use. Attachment to mothers did not show a similar association with these outcomes.

Israeli Arabs who experienced childhood physical or emotional abuse tend to have poorer marital quality, higher psychological distress, and more insecure attachment styles as adults, with physical abuse having a stronger impact than emotional abuse.

Are all single people insecure? When we think about people who have been single for a long time, we may assume it’s because single people have insecurities that make it difficult for them to find a partner or maintain a...