SynthesisPsychology and psychotherapy2026
The association between attachment insecurity and negative symptoms in clinical and non-clinical populations: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Psychology and psychotherapy, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- The association between attachment insecurity and negative symptoms in clinical and non-clinical populations: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Psychology and psychotherapy · 2026Pooled it
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeAttachment insecurity has been theorised to be associated with the development and maintenance of negative symptoms. Previous reviews examining the relationship between attachment insecurity and negative symptoms of psychosis have produced conflicting findings. Using meta-analytic techniques, the current study sought to systematically appraise the relationship between attachment insecurity dimensions, total negative symptoms and domains of negative symptoms.
methodsA systematic review of literature published on electronic databases (PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO) up to October 2025.
resultsTwenty-two studies met inclusion criteria (n = 6507; mean age 27.76 years; 35.1% male) and comprised clinical samples (k = 14) and non-clinical samples (k = 9). Five studies achieved a low risk of bias score. A small, significant average association was found between negative symptoms and attachment anxiety in clinical and non-clinical samples. A small, significant average association was found between attachment avoidance and negative symptoms in clinical samples, while a moderate-sized, significant average association was found in non-clinical samples. Differing strengths of association were found between attachment dimensions and each of the negative symptom domains.
conclusionFuture research should use measures that adhere to the NIMH consensus definition and should also explore the impact of attachment insecurity on individual negative symptoms. PRISMA/PROSPERO: This review was conducted in line with PRISMA guidance. The review protocol was registered on Prospero on the 16 August 2022. https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42022353927.
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