Partner attachment as a predictor of long-term response to treatment with couples therapy. 2011

Henk Jan Conradi, and Peter De Jonge, and Albert Neeleman, and Peter Simons, and Sjoerd Sytema
Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. h.j.conradi@uva.nl

Vulnerability factors such as insecure attachment may have a lasting effect on the outcome of couples therapy, even long after discharge from treatment. Given that attachment has never been examined as an outcome predictor for couples therapy in the long term, the authors studied its effect on outcome during and after couples therapy. This prospective study included 71 inpatients participating in group couples therapy who the authors measured at baseline, immediately posttreatment at 2 months, and at 8 and 20 months, regarding two outcomes: problem-solving capacity (using the Interactional Problem Solving Questionnaire) and psychopathology (using the 90-item Symptom Check List). At baseline, the authors measured partner attachment (using the Experiences in Close Relationships Questionnaire). Mixed model analyses showed that attachment-related dysfunctional working models of self and others predicted less improvement in psychopathology (p = .04) and problem-solving capacity (p = .01), respectively. Special attention to insecure attachment in couples therapy may therefore prove valuable in terms of outcome in the long run.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007398 Interpersonal Relations The reciprocal interaction of two or more persons. Social Relationships,Husband-Wife Communication,Partner Communication,Communication, Husband-Wife,Communication, Partner,Husband Wife Communication,Husband-Wife Communications,Interpersonal Relation,Partner Communications,Relation, Interpersonal,Relationship, Social,Social Relationship
D008297 Male Males
D008393 Marriage The social institution involving legal and/or religious sanction whereby individuals are joined together. Marital Relationship,Arranged Marriage,Commonlaw Marriage,Consensual Union,Consummation of Marriage,Dowry,Husband-Wife Comparisons,Intermarriage,Marriage Age,Marriage Duration,Marriage Patterns,Marriage Postponement,Mate Selection,Multiple Marriages,Nuptiality,Polygamy,Polygyny,Remarriage,Same-Sex Marriage,Age, Marriage,Ages, Marriage,Arranged Marriages,Commonlaw Marriages,Comparison, Husband-Wife,Comparisons, Husband-Wife,Consensual Unions,Dowries,Duration, Marriage,Husband Wife Comparisons,Husband-Wife Comparison,Intermarriages,Marital Relationships,Marriage Ages,Marriage Consummation,Marriage Consummations,Marriage Pattern,Marriage Postponements,Marriage, Arranged,Marriage, Commonlaw,Marriage, Same-Sex,Marriages,Marriages, Arranged,Marriages, Commonlaw,Marriages, Multiple,Marriages, Same-Sex,Mate Selections,Postponement, Marriage,Postponements, Marriage,Relationship, Marital,Relationships, Marital,Remarriages,Same Sex Marriage,Same-Sex Marriages,Selection, Mate,Selections, Mate,Union, Consensual,Unions, Consensual
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D009769 Object Attachment Emotional attachment to someone or something in the environment. Bonding (Psychology),Bonds, Emotional,Emotional Bonds,Object Relations,Symbiotic Relations (Psychology),Bonding, Psychological,Object Relationship,Psychological Bonding,Attachment, Object,Attachments, Object,Bond, Emotional,Bondings (Psychology),Emotional Bond,Object Attachments,Object Relation,Object Relationships,Relation, Object,Relation, Symbiotic (Psychology),Relations, Object,Relations, Symbiotic (Psychology),Relationship, Object,Relationships, Object,Symbiotic Relation (Psychology)
D010549 Personal Satisfaction The individual's experience of a sense of fulfillment of a need or want and the quality or state of being satisfied. Life Satisfaction,Satisfaction,Life Satisfactions,Satisfaction, Life,Satisfaction, Personal,Satisfactions, Life
D010551 Personality Behavior-response patterns that characterize the individual. Personalities
D011446 Prospective Studies Observation of a population for a sufficient number of persons over a sufficient number of years to generate incidence or mortality rates subsequent to the selection of the study group. Prospective Study,Studies, Prospective,Study, Prospective
D011795 Surveys and Questionnaires Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions. Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D005260 Female Females

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