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BMC Psychiatry
Published in: BMC Psychiatry 1/2021

Open Access 01-12-2021 | Social Anxiety Disorder | Research article

Significance of anger suppression and preoccupied attachment in social anxiety disorder: a cross-sectional study

Authors: Rupert Conrad, Andreas J. Forstner, Man-Long Chung, Martin Mücke, Franziska Geiser, Johannes Schumacher, Friederike Carnehl

Published in: BMC Psychiatry | Issue 1/2021

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Abstract

Background

There is evidence for the relevance of attachment style and anger expression for the manifestation of social anxiety disorder (SAD).

Method

In a cross-sectional study 321 individuals with social anxiety disorder (41% men, age 38.8 ± 13.9) were compared with 94 healthy controls (37% men, age 35.8 ± 15.1) on several questionnaires (Attachment Styles Questionnaire, State Trait Anger Inventory, Social Phobia Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory).

Results

Individuals with SAD showed moderate-sized reduced levels of secure and large-sized increased levels of fearful and preoccupied attachment style compared to healthy controls (all p < 0.001) as well as small-sized increased levels of trait anger (p = 0.03) and moderate-sized increased levels of anger-in (p < 0.001). Attachment style and anger regulation could predict 21% (R2 = 0.21, p < 0.001) of the extent of social anxiety (SPIN) in SAD; secure (β = − 0.196, p < 0.01) and preoccupied attachment style (β = 0.117, p < 0.05), as well as anger-in (β = 0.199, p < 0.01) were significant cross-sectional predictors. Further analysis revealed that the relationship between preoccupied attachment and social anxiety is partially mediated by anger-in.

Conclusion

Study findings confirm the relevance of preoccupied attachment style and anger suppression for social anxiety. Disentangling the role of anger regulation in early attachment patterns has significant therapeutic implications in SAD.
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Metadata
Title
Significance of anger suppression and preoccupied attachment in social anxiety disorder: a cross-sectional study
Authors
Rupert Conrad
Andreas J. Forstner
Man-Long Chung
Martin Mücke
Franziska Geiser
Johannes Schumacher
Friederike Carnehl
Publication date
01-12-2021
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Psychiatry / Issue 1/2021
Electronic ISSN: 1471-244X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-021-03098-1

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