Adult attachment dimensions in people high in ‘borderline’ personality traits and the professionals who work alongside them

This thesis consists of three chapters: a literature review, an empirical and a reflective paper. The literature review and empirical papers investigate adult social attachment dimensions in specific samples (those with high levels of ‘borderline’ traits, and professionals who work alongside these individuals). The literature review paper aimed to investigate the relationship between a specific operationalised definition of attachment (adult attachment dimensions) and ‘borderline’ traits. A quantitative analysis of the effect sizes between the variables as well as a narrative synthesis which considers inter-related variables were conducted. Both attachment dimensions were significantly related to ‘borderline’ traits, with ‘attachment anxiety’ having a stronger relationship. The results are considered alongside other intra- and interpersonal variables presented in the literature. A descriptive model of the literature is provided and the review, as well as the literature, is critiqued, with future research, clinical and policy directions suggested. The empirical paper investigated the effect of clinician attachment dimensions and their levels of ‘burnout’ on their endorsed response to a vignette of a client in crisis. The study employed a questionnaire survey design to measure attachment dimensions and ‘burnout’ constructs. Bivariate, point-biserial and partial correlations were used to test models where ‘burnout’ constructs mediated the relationship between attachment and endorsed ‘response urgency’ to the vignette. Greater levels of urgency among staff with high ‘attachment anxiety’ were suppressed by greater levels of ‘depersonalisation’. The findings are discussed in the context of previous healthcare and childcare research and the limitations of the research design. Recommendations for clinicians, policy makers and researchers are suggested. The reflective paper uses a repertory grid technique to explore the way I construe the role of researcher in clinical psychology. The grid was administered at two time-points and changes through the thesis research process are discussed with reference to my values and epistemological position