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Volume 23, Issue 4, Pages 177-182 (July 2001)

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Using attachment theory to understand illness behavior

Jonathan J Hunter, M.D. (F.R.C.P. (C))aCorresponding Author Informationemail address, Robert G Maunder, M.D. (F.R.C.P. (C))a

Abstract 

This article examines a model of illness as a stressor that activates an individual’s characteristic attachment behaviors. These behaviors are the result of the attachment system, a mammalian trait that exists in order to maximize the odds of survival of an infant born without the necessary maturation for immediate independence. Attachment concepts, such as attachment style, coherence, and reflective functioning, are briefly explained, followed by examples of their application to the psychological management of patients with medical or surgical illness. Attachment theory provides a unique, simple, and pragmatically useful model for understanding the particular ways that individuals can feel and react when stressed by illness, and how the professional may help manage that distress.

a University of Toronto Psychosomatic Program, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai Hospital, 600 University Ave., Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1X5. Tel.: +1-416-586-4557; fax: +1-416-586-8654

PII: S0163-8343(01)00141-4

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