The contribution of attachment styles, parental bonding, parental preference and relationship contentment to the level of well-being of people with chronic mental illnesses

This study explores the subjective well-being of persons living with mental illness.  Studies indicate that people living with chronic mental illness and personality disorders report low subjective well-being, characterized by low levels of life satisfaction and high levels of negative emotions such as depression and anxiety (Love & Holder, 2016; Norman et al., 2000). Attachment theory, a central psychological theory, posits that the attachment style that characterize an individual’s interpersonal relations develop at an early age, and that these styles accompany people across the life cycle, manifesting in the different relationships maintained in adulthood (Bowlby, 2008). Research evidence documents that people living with mental disorders report insecure attachment styles, such as anxious or avoidant styles (Berry et al., 2006). The different attachment styles were linked to childhood experiences of parental bonding, perceptions of family relations (Kerns, 2001; Rauer & Volling, 2007), and contentment in intimate romantic relationships (Birnbaum, 2007).  

This research studied the relationship between personality traits in terms of attachment style and the perceptions of past familial experiences (i.e. childhood experiences of parenting, and differential parental treatment in comparison to siblings), and intimate relationships; and the contribution of these factors to the subjective well-being of people living with chronic mental disorders, compared to non-clinical controls.

Method:

 73 mentally ill persons (living with conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder) known to the "Sal Shikum" community rehabilitation framework, and 80 people from the general (non-clinical) population participated in this study. Participants completed a range of self-reporting questionnaires: General Well-Being Scheduler (Dupuy, 1978), Experiences in Close Relationships Scale (Brennan, Clark & Shaver, 1988), Parental Bonding Instrument (Parker, Tupling  & Brown, 1979), Adult Sibling Relationship Questionnaire (Stocker, Lanthier, & Furman, 1997), Relationship Assessment Scale (Hendrick, Dicke & Hendrick, 1988), and Life Events (Solomon, 1995).

Findings:

The primary research hypothesis, which presumed a negative correlation between subjective well-being and avoidant and anxious attachment styles, was confirmed; the higher the level of subjective well-being, the lower the manifestation of anxious and avoiding attachment styles. The second research hypothesis, which posited a positive correlation between subjective well-being and beneficent parental bonding, was confirmed; it was found that the higher the level of subjective well-being, the higher the quality of parental care and the lower the impact of parental control (via overprotection). The third research hypothesis, which hypothesized a negative correlation between subjective well-being and differential parental treatment (preference of siblings), was not confirmed. The fourth research hypothesis, which proposed a positive correlation between subjective well-being and satisfaction in intimate interpersonal relationships, was confirmed; the findings showed that the higher the level of subjective well-being, the higher the level of relationship satisfaction. The fifth research hypothesis, which proposed that the level of contentment in intimate relationships might moderate the relationship between attachment style, parental bonding, and differential parental treatment with subjective well-being, was not confirmed. However, it was found that relationship contentment mediated the association between the avoidant attachment style and subjective well-being. Finally, the sixth research hypothesis, which hypothesized differences in subjective well-being between the two groups of research participants (people living with mental illness and the control population), was confirmed; it was found that the average level of subjective well-being was lower for participants living with mental disorders.

The discussion emphasized the prominent contribution that attachment style and childhood experiences of parenting can make to subjective well-being. Additionally, we discussed the unique relationship between the avoiding attachment style and subjective well-being, a relationship explained and mediated by relationship satisfaction.

Research contribution:

 This research allows for a better and deeper understanding of the contribution that past and present family relations (in terms of attachment style, parental bonding, and intimate relationship satisfaction) can make to the subjective well-being of people living with mental disorders. These findings can support the development of rehabilitation and support programs for clientele of "Sal Shikum," such that the life satisfaction of people coping with mental disorders can be improved.