ArticleThe British journal of clinical psychology2023
Toward a causal link between attachment styles and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Article in The British journal of clinical psychology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed.
- Together and Apart: Dual Attachment Bonds to Cohabiting and Separated Partners Predict Relationship and Psychological Outcomes During COVID-19 Lockdowns.Archives of sexual behavior · 2026Article
- Resource Barrier Versus Resource Drain: Adult Attachment Differentially Moderates the Impact of Social Support on Well-Being Through Need Satisfaction.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Causal Discovery in Observational Medical Research: Scoping Review.JMIR medical informatics · 2026Article
- Research on the network structure and gender/age differences of psychological safety among urban residents: network analysis based on a large sample.BMC psychology · 2025Article
- The risk and protective factors on the mental health of healthcare workers during the lockdown period due to covid-19 pandemic.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Immediate and longer-term changes in mental health of children with parent-child separation experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.Child and adolescent psychiatry and mental health · 2023Article
- Toward a causal link between attachment styles and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.The British journal of clinical psychology · 2023Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundRecent research has shown that insecure attachment, especially attachment anxiety, is associated with poor mental health outcomes, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Other research suggests that insecure attachment may be linked to nonadherence to social distancing behaviours during the pandemic.
aimsThe present study aims to examine the causal links between attachment styles (secure, anxious, avoidant), mental health outcomes (depression, anxiety, loneliness) and adherence to social distancing behaviours during the first several months of the UK lockdown (between April and August 2020). MATERIALS &
methodsWe used a nationally representative UK sample (cross-sectional n = 1325; longitudinal n = 950). The data were analysed using state-of-the-art causal discovery and targeted learning algorithms to identify causal processes.
resultsThe results showed that insecure attachment styles were causally linked to poorer mental health outcomes, mediated by loneliness. Only attachment avoidance was causally linked to nonadherence to social distancing guidelines. DISCUSSION: Future interventions to improve mental health outcomes should focus on mitigating feelings of loneliness. Limitations include no access to pre-pandemic data and the use of categorical attachment measure.
conclusionInsecure attachment is a risk factor for poorer mental health outcomes.
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