Citation

Taylor P, DiTommaso E, Scott-Storey K, O'Donnell S, Busolo D, Vincent CD, Malcolm J. Am. J. Men. Health 2024; 18(3): e15579883241255829.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2024, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/15579883241255829

PMID

38819019

PMCID

PMC11143826

Abstract

Cumulative lifetime violence (CLV) encompasses many different types and contexts of violence that occur across the lifespan and is associated with negative mental health outcomes in men; however, little attention has been paid to other factors that can influence these relationships such as attachment style. In this analysis, our focus is to understand how attachment styles directly and indirectly through CLV affect men's mental health, specifically depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and alcohol use. Data from 597 Canadian men with lifetime experiences of violence who participated in our national online survey focusing on violence and health were used for mediation analysis.

RESULTS indicated that CLV severity mediated the relationship between attachment anxiety (but not attachment avoidance) and depression, anxiety, PTSD, and alcohol use. Although attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance each directly affected depression, anxiety, and PTSD, neither directly affected alcohol use. Importantly, these findings provide the first evidence that the mechanism by which anxious attachment affects alcohol use is through CLV severity. These findings highlight the importance of anxious attachment on mental health outcomes for men who have experienced CLV.

Language: en

Keywords

Humans; Adult; Male; Middle Aged; Canada; violence; mental health; attachment; Young Adult; Mental Health; Surveys and Questionnaires; substance use; men’s health; *Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/psychology; Violence/psychology; Depression/psychology; Anxiety/psychology; *Alcohol Drinking/psychology; *Object Attachment