Abstract
This study’s objective was to explore the mediating role of attachment orientation in infertile women and their partners as a mediator of the relationship between need for parenthood and psychosocial well-being. Ninety participants (45 couples) undergoing in vitro fertilization completed self-report questionnaires that assessed representations of the importance of parenthood, attachment orientations, and psychosocial well-being. Path analysis was used to examine the direct and indirect effects. The results indicated that women’s attachment anxiety mediated the effect of need for parenthood on the psychological well-being of themselves and their partner. Although causality cannot be assumed, this study highlights the importance of considering attachment orientations and related strategies of emotion regulation in clinical settings and the need to address the meaning of parenthood for promoting couples’ well-being.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 132-143 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings |
Volume | 24 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jun 2017 |
Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2017, Springer Science+Business Media New York.
Keywords
- Attachment anxiety
- Attachment avoidance
- Infertility
- Psychosocial well-being