Review article

https://doi.org/10.24869/psyd.2017.250

ADULT ATTACHMENT STYLE AND SUICIDALITY

Mario Miniati ; Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
Antonio Callari ; Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
Stefano Pini ; Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy

Abstract

Background: There is evidence in the literature that adverse early attachment experiences and subsequent attachment
insecurities during adulthood would lead to pessimism, low self-esteem, hopelessness and, ultimately, to suicide risk.
Subjects and methods: This paper aims to review finding on the link between attachment style and suicidality. We searched the
literature using the database of the U.S. National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI)-MedLine/Pubmed system from
January 1992 until December 2016. We started with 1992 because, as far as we know, there are no published studies exploring the
relationship between suicide and insecure attachment before that year. We considered reports published on the relationship between
attachment style and suicidality. We applied several combinations of the following search terms: attachment, adult attachment style
and suicidality, suicide, suicidal ideation, suicidal behavior or suicidal thoughts, and suicide attempts. We selected only English
language studies.
Results: Research suggests that insecure attachment style, mostly anxious, and unresolved traumas are associated with an
increased suicide risk. Few studies prospectively examined clinical course, comorbid psychiatric disorders, familial suicidality or
other psychosocial factors.
Conclusions: Further research is needed to highlight the nature of the link between attachment and suicidality. The presence of
suicidal ideation and attempts might be a consequence of an underlying interaction between the emergence of psychiatrics symptoms,
and the long-lasting presence of inadequate patterns of attachment. Within this context, Separation Anxiety Disorder, categorized in
the DSM-5 as a condition not confined to childhood but as an anxiety disorder that may occur through the entire lifespan, might be
the a key for the comprehension of this link. From a neurobiological point of view, the role of oxytocin remains unclear.

Keywords

DSM-5; attachment style; suicidal ideation; suicidal behaviors; separation anxiety

Hrčak ID:

187285

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/187285

Publication date:

26.9.2017.

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