Does Attachment Avoidance Help People Cope With Loss? The Moderating Effects of Relationship Quality

Previous research has been inconsistent about the role of attachment avoidance in coping with loss. The present study sought to resolve this issue by examining the potential moderating role of relationship quality with the deceased. The authors used longitudinal data on bereaved spouses (N = 50) collected at 4 and 18 months postloss. Three-way effects emerged among attachment avoidance, attachment anxiety, and marital quality in the prediction of complicated grief (CG) symptoms at 18 months, controlling for 4-month symptoms. Findings indicated that, in the context of high but not low marital quality, persons with a dismissingly avoidant attachment style (high avoidance, low anxiety) experienced marked reductions in CG symptoms from 4 to 18 months. Findings clarify the role of attachment avoidance in coping with loss and underscore that relationship quality is a critical factor in the attachment-grief relationship. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol 65: 1127-1136, 2009.