The Role of Attachment Anxiety and Avoidance for Reduced Interpersonal Problems in Training Group Analytic Therapy

摘要

The aim of the current study was to explore whether measures of attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance in group leaders, trainees, and other group members in experiential group analytic psychotherapy predicted change in interpersonal distress among the trainees. The study included 54 group members (trainees) and 8 group leaders involved in a group therapist training program which included experiential group psychotherapy in small groups. The participants completed the Circumplex of Interpersonal Problems before and after participating in the groups and the Experiences in Close Relationships (measure of attachment) just prior to the study period. Because of the hierarchical nature of the data, we used multilevel modeling to analyze the impact of attachment dimensions on change in interpersonal problems of the trainees. Results indicate that lower attachment anxiety in the group leader, in the individual trainee and in the average of other members in the group predicted a greater reduction in trainee interpersonal distress. whereas attachment avoidance was unrelated to outcome. Thus, the influence of low attachment anxiety on reducing interpersonal distress was valid across the multiple member-member and member-leader relationships within the experiential groups. For pregroup preparations, these findings may increase the relevance of considering attachment anxiety in group member selection and group composition.