Adult attachment and symptom distress: a dyadic analysis of couples in therapy

This study used Kenny and Cook's actor-partner interdependence model to examine both actor and partner effects of attachment anxiety and avoidance for male and female partners on symptom distress over four sessions of therapy. Using the couple as the unit of analysis offers a unique method for studying the role of adult attachment in the treatment of mental health symptoms. The findings provided some new perspectives on the role of attachment in treatment outcomes and provided support for previous research. The results showed that women's anxiety and avoidance has an impact on their male partners' symptom distress following four sessions of couple therapy. Additionally, men's avoidance was a significant influence on their female partners' symptom distress after four sessions of therapy. Practitioner points Male partners participating in therapy are influenced by their female partners' attachment on their own symptom distress, therefore men would greatly benefit from couple-related interventions to reduce individual symptom distress. Female partners' attachment anxiety and avoidance influenced their symptom distress, therefore individual attachment-informed interventions would support women's reduction of symptom distress in therapy.