Lifetime romantic attachment style and social adaptation in late‐onset depression

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Abstract
Background: Measuring social adjustment (including attachment style and current social adaptation) in late‐life depression may support planning secondary prevention, rehabilitation, and treatment. Insecure attachment style is a risk factor for developing new depression, and social adjustment may constitute a problem after symptoms abatement. Few studies have examined attachment style and social adjustment in late‐onset depression.Design: Subjects 50 years of age and older with early‐onset (n = 35), late‐onset DSM‐IV unipolar depression (n = 38), and never‐depressed volunteers (n = 47) were assessed with a widely used measure of attachment style (the Experiences in Close Relationship Scale). Social adjustment was measured using the Social Adjustment Scale.Results: Both early‐onset and late‐onset patients with depression showed greater insecure attachment and poorer social adaptation compared with never‐depressed volunteers. No difference was found between early‐onset and late‐onset patients with depression on attachment style or social adjustment. There were no significant differences between late‐life depression in remission or current on attachment or social adaptation.Conclusion: Insecure attachment style may be a risk factor for late‐life depression irrespective of the age of onset. Social maladaptation may persist among individuals with late‐life depression in remission. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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