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The contribution of adult attachment style to the adjustment to infertility
Author(s) -
Mikulincer Mario,
Horesh Netta,
LevyShiff Rachel,
Manovich Rachel,
Shalev Joseph
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
british journal of medical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.102
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 2044-8341
pISSN - 0007-1129
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8341.1998.tb00991.x
Subject(s) - attachment theory , infertility , psychology , ambivalence , distress , insecure attachment , clinical psychology , mental health , scale (ratio) , pregnancy , developmental psychology , psychiatry , social psychology , genetics , physics , quantum mechanics , biology
This study examines the contribution of adult attachment style to the adjustment to infertility. Both husbands and wives of 80 infertile couples undergoing medical treatment completed the Attachment Style Scale, the Mental Health Inventory and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale. One year later, data were collected on whether women became pregnant. Diagnosis of male infertility was significantly more distressing than diagnosis of female infertility. Significant differences were found among attachment groups: secure persons, either men or women, reported more well‐being, less distress and more dyadic adjustment than avoidant and anxious‐ambivalent persons. Partners of secure persons also reported significantly higher levels of well‐being and dyadic adjustment and significantly lower levels of distress than partners of anxious‐ambivalent persons. However, these effects of attachment style were significant mainly when male infertility was diagnosed. Husbands' secure attachment made a significant positive contribution to pregnancy likelihood and this effect was mediated by adjustment measures. Results are discussed in terms of attachment theory.