Cancer patients’ attachment styles in the first year after diagnosis: the impact of perceived stress and emotion regulation skills

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to determine the magnitude of perceived stress among cancer patients in the first year of diagnosis and to reveal the effects of stress levels and emotion regulation skills on attachment styles. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 200 patients enrolled in a medical oncology outpatient clinic in the first year of cancer diagnosis. Attachment styles were determined using the Adult Attachment Style Scale. Stress levels and emotion regulation skills were assessed with the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and the Emotion Regulation Skills Questionnaire (ERSQ). The participants were questioned about their cohabitant status and caregiver preferences. Results: The analyses revealed that almost half of the participants (n = 99) had high stress levels (P = .001), and most (69%) had a secure attachment style. The results indicate that secure attachment styles had a weak negative correlation with PSS scores (r = −0.191; P = .007) and a weak positive, statistically significant correlation with ERSQ scores (r = 0.297; P < .001). The study found that perceived stress during the first year after diagnosis had a significant effect on the development of insecure attachment styles (Exp(B): 1.051; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.009-1.095; P < .05). Emotion regulation skills affect insecure attachment styles, as indicated by the statistical analysis (Exp(B): 0.982; 95% CI, 0.965-0.999; P < .05). Conclusion: Our findings support the idea that stress levels and emotion regulation affect attachment styles. Awareness of attachment theory and the effects of different forms of insecure attachment on patients is essential to improving their ability to better understand and meet their support needs.