Attachment and Depression

Attachment is a natural part of human development. The nature of attachment relationships experienced from infancy through childhood will dictate the nature of intimate relationships across an entire lifespan. When early attachment relationships are healthy, adult relationships are likely to be positive and healthy as well. Conversely, when early attachment relationships are dysfunctional, they can lead to dysfunctional relationships and negative internal thought processes in later adulthood. Both of these results will often give way to long-term and severe depression.

Attachment Theory Basics

• Attachment bonds begin during infancy.

  Attachment theory was first introduced by John Bowlby, a British psychiatrist, in 1969. Bowlby proposed that the attachment of a child to its primary caregiver is an evolutionary development that provides security and safety for infants and children. This security allows the child to explore her environment insofar as her caregiver is near enough in case of threat of danger.

  When a child or infant experiences abandonment by their primary caregiver, or some type of trauma such as abuse, neglect or frequent changes in the primary caregiver, the attachment relationship becomes unhealthy. These types of early experiences will form the emotional and social responses a child will have throughout their lifespan, and in these cases, the responses can be maladaptive, leading to emotional and mental disorders such as depression, anger and co-dependency.

The Relationship Between Attachment and Depression

• Oftentimes depression occurs because of how relationships and self are perceived.

  Among the myriad of theories attempting to identify the root of depression, attachment theory attempts to explain one possibility. Bowlby characterized the patterns of thinking formulated during youth as internal working models--one's unique cognitive identity. If a child experiences a trauma in his early attachment relationships, then the internal thought processes (which create the internal working model) will reflect the negative experience as lack of self-worth and/or the caregiver's lack of trustworthiness. The internal working model is shaped in youth and will be perpetuated in adulthood, so that all familiar and intimate relationships will fit into the individual's negative framework of thinking. These negative thought processes become a source of depression in an individual, a tenet of cognitive behavioral logic.

Types of Attachment Disorders that Lead to Depression

• Attachment disorders can cause feelings of loneliness and isolation.

  When early attachment relationships are unhealthy, e.g. abandonment, abuse, neglect; individuals may develop maladaptive styles of attachment as they approach and experience adulthood. Although some research indicates a correlation between specific negative experiences and type of attachment disorder, it cannot be concretely concluded that one will predict the other.

  Two common attachment styles resulting from early negative experiences are categorized as avoidant/dismissive and resistant/preoccupied. These types of attachment patterns will pervade an individual's intimate relationships, causing dysfunction and friction within his/her romantic partnerships, family bonds and close friendships.

Avoidant/Dismissive Attachment Patterns

• Repression of emotion leads to chronic irritability.

  Adults who have avoidant/dismissive styles of attachment will mask their true emotions as a defense mechanism, because they perceive the attachment figures in their life as untrustworthy. They may also have unrealistic ideals of relationships than can never be met. Due to these maladaptive behaviors, their closest relationships will often fail or suffer, resulting in chronic depression. Furthermore, individuals with this attachment style will often postpone the mourning process when they experience a loss, resulting in prolonged irritability and distress and eventually long-term depression.

Resistant/Preoccupied Attachment Patterns

• Resistant/preoccupied thoughts are fixated on negative outcomes.

  Adults who have developed resistant/preoccupied attachment patterns worry about the possibility of losing their attachment figures, which may lead to overly enmeshed or clingy behaviors. These individuals will often agonize over possible threats to their loved one, such as illness or death. Frequently, people who have resistant/preoccupied attachment styles will harbor self-deprecating thoughts and feel unworthy of love. It is common for these individuals to experience severe depression for very long periods of time as a result of the constant presence and strain of anxiety.

Considerations

• Signs of depression should never go unchecked.

  Depression is caused by a variety of factors, stress, life changes, trauma or biological possibilities. Depression can affect an individual's ability to function at work and at home, and in severe cases, it can incapacitate an individual. Furthermore, approximately 15 percent of clinically diagnosed depression patients have committed suicide.

  If you suspect yourself or someone you know may be suffering from depression, do not try to treat the problem yourself. Notify a mental health professional so that they can assess and treat the problem. If a mental health provider is not available, then notify your primary care physician so that they can refer you to someone qualified to help.