Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Lien, Lisa M

Titel

Adult Attachment, Caregiving Style, and Caregiving Burden in Romantic Relationships

Ort / Verlag

ProQuest Dissertations & Theses

Erscheinungsjahr

2017

Quelle

ProQuest Dissertations & Theses A&I

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• The purpose of the current study was to examine adult attachment and a potential association with caregiving style and experience of caregiving burden in romantic relationships. The study sought to determine if individuals identifying as having a secure, anxious, or avoidant attachment differ significantly in terms of their caregiving style and subjective experience of caregiving burden. Sixty-one individuals in a current monogamous dating (39.3%) or marital relationship (55.7%) participated. The mean relationship length was 7.4 years (SD=8.1 years), and ranged from .08 to 45 years. Attachment avoidance was associated with caregiving behavior characterized as insensitive, distant or low proximity to their partner in distress, and care controlling in nature rather than cooperative (p < .01). Attachment anxiety associated with insensitive, compulsive, and controlling caregiving behavior (p = .01). On dimensions of caregiving burden, attachment avoidance was significantly correlated with nearly all dimensions of burden measured, and most strongly associated with emotional burden (r = .70, p > .01). Attachment anxiety was associated with fewer correlations and less significant correlations on dimensions of caregiving burden overall in comparison to avoidance; most strongly associated with social ( p > .01), financial (p > .05), and emotional burden (p > .05). Implications and clinical applications are discussed.