@article{ref1,
title="The moderation of attachment in the association between depressive symptoms and self-harm among a clinical sample",
journal="Journal of mental health",
year="2019",
author="Shenkman, Geva and Pardo Aviv, Lee and Hain, Dora and Goren, Omer and Shapira, Shai and Nakash, Ora and Brunstein Klomek, Anat and Berant, Ety",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="1-8",
abstract="<b>Background:</b> Self-harm is a severe health problem worldwide and in particular in clinical settings. The association of depression and self-harm has been extensively studied alongside various variables that have been examined as moderating this association. However, no previous study has examined the moderating role of attachment in this association. <b>Aim:</b> We explored the role of attachment orientation in moderating the association between depressive symptoms and self-harm among a sample of patients in a community mental health clinic. <b>Method:</b> This study was a de-identified archival study of patients' medical charts, and used a convenience sample of 199 patients, which completed self-report measures following the initial intake appointment as part of clinic procedures. <b>Results:</b> Findings showed that both attachment anxiety and avoidance moderated the association between depressive symptoms and self-harm, such that depressive symptoms were positively associated with self-harm only when attachment anxiety scores were high, and attachment avoidance scores were high or average. <b>Conclusions:</b> Attachment anxiety and avoidance should be assessed in the initial intake of patients as it has a contribution to understanding self-harm vulnerability among new patients. Future studies should explore this moderation longitudinally so causality could be inferred.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0963-8237",
doi="10.1080/09638237.2019.1630723",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09638237.2019.1630723"
}