Attachment ‐specific speech patterns induce dysphoric mood changes in the listener as a function of individual differences in attachment characteristics and psychopathology

ConclusionsExposure to attachment ‐specific speech patterns can result in dysphoric mood changes. Specifically, the insecure‐preoccupied narrative influenced the listeners’ emotional state, which was further mediated by the individual attachment patterns and psychopathological personality characteristics. This deepens the unde rstanding of interpersonal processes, especially in psychotherapeutic settings.Practitioner points

In clinical populations, insecure ‐preoccupied attachment has a high prevalence. In this study, listening to a narrative characteristic of insecure‐preoccupied speech patterns resulted in reduced well‐being in healthy listeners.

Patients with depressive symptoms showed a higher emotional reactivity towards the insecure‐preo ccupied narrative compared to healthy controls.

While working on (childhood) traumata, for example, in group therapy or inpatient settings, therapists should raise awareness to possible mood changes through discourse‐conveyed attachment characteristics in listeners as a ‘side effect’.

Source: Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice - November 19, 2019 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Anna Linda Leutritz, Lejla Colic, Viola Borchardt, Xuemei Cheng, Bin Zhang, Sarah Lison, J örg Frommer, Anna Buchheim, Bernhard Strauss, Peter Fonagy, Tobias Nolte, Martin Walter Tags: Original Article Source Type: research