Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine if insecure attachment served as interpersonal vulnerability of depression and if insecure attachment affected marital functioning of depressed patients. Participants were 31 female outpatients with depression (depression group) and 32 normal women(control group). They were assessed on the measure of depression, subjective marital satisfaction, marital relationships, attachment style and general dysfunctional attitude. Specifically, interview technique was used to evaluate marital relationship and attachment style. Results indicated that insecure attachment style was significantly more prevalent in the depression group than in the control group. Among aspects of insecure attachment, depressed patients showed a higher level of the desire for engagement and anger in relationships than women in the control group. Subjective marital satisfaction, confiding in husband, quality of positive interaction with husband and security characteristics of marriage were lower in the depression group than in the control group, and the quality of negative interaction with husband was higher in the depression group than in the control group. Achievement-oriented and dependency-oriented dysfunctional attitude were higher among depressed patients than among women in the control group. Within the depression group, patients with secure attachment and those with insecure attachment group were compared. There was a significant difference in the subjective marital relationship between two groups, and active emotional support by husband tended to be lower in the insecure attachment group than in the secure attachment group. Achievement-oriented dysfunctional attitude tended to be higher among patients with insecure attachment group than those with secure attachment. Implications and limitations of this study were discussed.