Investigation of attachment dimensions in panic disorder and major depression

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to investigate if early experiences affect anxiety and avoidance in attachment and if anxiety and avoidance in attachment may differentiate patients diagnosed as major depression (MD) from patients diagnosed as panic disorder (PD).
Patients and methods: The study included 100 patients (32 males, 68 females; mean age 34.2±1.04 years) diagnosed as PB and 100 patients (34 males, 66 females; mean age 34.1±9.03 years) diagnosed as MD who admitted to Inonu University Faculty of Medicine, Turgut Ozal Medical Center Psychiatry Clinic between October 2009 and October 2011 and diagnosed according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV-TR (DSM-IV-TR) diagnostic criteria, and 146 healthy individuals (control group) (54 males, 92 females; mean age 33.2±9.4 years) with no PB or MD problem. Diagnoses of PD and MD were established using the structured interview form prepared according to DSM-IV-TR criteria.
Results: Anxiety and avoidance in attachment scores of the MD and PD group were statistically significantly higher than the healthy controls. Anxiety in attachment score of MD patients was significantly higher compared to both controls and PD patients. There was no significant difference between MD and PD patients in terms of avoidance in attachment score. It was observed that having been breast-fed less than six months created a significant difference in MD patients. It was shown that early experiences did not significantly affect anxiety and avoidance in attachment.
Conclusion: The facts that anxiety and avoidance in attachment score was higher compared to healthy controls and anxiety in attachment score was lower than MD patients in PD patients revealed that the Malatya sample is compatible with the Turkey sample. Our study indicates that attachment dimensions differ in MD and PD patients and healthy controls.