Lifetime Romantic Attachment Style and Social Adaptation in Late-onset Depression

Overview

Journal Int J Geriatr Psychiatry

Specialties Geriatrics
Psychiatry

Date 2011 Dec 8

PMID 22147292

Citations 9

Authors

Sergio Paradiso

Rachelle Naridze

Erika Holm-Brown

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Measuring social adjustment (including attachment style and current social adaptation) in late-life depression may support planning secondary prevention, rehabilitation, and treatment. Insecure attachment style is a risk factor for developing new depression, and social adjustment may constitute a problem after symptoms abatement. Few studies have examined attachment style and social adjustment in late-onset depression.

Design: Subjects 50 years of age and older with early-onset (n = 35), late-onset DSM-IV unipolar depression (n = 38), and never-depressed volunteers (n = 47) were assessed with a widely used measure of attachment style (the Experiences in Close Relationship Scale). Social adjustment was measured using the Social Adjustment Scale.

Results: Both early-onset and late-onset patients with depression showed greater insecure attachment and poorer social adaptation compared with never-depressed volunteers. No difference was found between early-onset and late-onset patients with depression on attachment style or social adjustment. There were no significant differences between late-life depression in remission or current on attachment or social adaptation.

Conclusion: Insecure attachment style may be a risk factor for late-life depression irrespective of the age of onset. Social maladaptation may persist among individuals with late-life depression in remission.

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