Relationship between attachment style and level of negative emotions in patients with cancer disease

Objective: Cancer and its treatment induces negative emotions in patients and non-adaptive behavior. The results of the bond in adults suggest that the process of adaptation to the disease can be conditioned by the quality of early childhood experiences with the primary caregiver. The aim of the study was to determine the possible links between attachment style of cancer patients and the levels of their anxiety, depression and aggression.

Material and methods: Participants were 246 individuals suffering from cancer: 176 women aged from 26 to 87 and 70 men aged from 28 to 84. Mean age for women was 56.5 (SD = 11.7) and for men 59 (SD = 12.8). The research involved using the following methods: Four Category Relationship Questionnaire (RQ) and The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-M).

Results: There was found a significant correlation among attachment styles, level of anxiety, depression and irritation. Safe attachment style is correlated to low level of negative emotions. Both of non-safe styles: preoccupied and fearful-avoidant are related with high levels of negative emotions. Contrary to expectations, no significant association was found between dismissing-avoidant style and negative emotions. This may be due to the specificity of this non-safe type of bond.

Conclusions: Attachment styles may be a good predictor of negative emotions in oncological patients. However, future studies are needed to explore this issue.